


Seeing you tonight (got my mind off focus)

by Yennefer_Maleficent_Black



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, blonde!Tissaia, useless!Yennefer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yennefer_Maleficent_Black/pseuds/Yennefer_Maleficent_Black
Summary: Tissaia de Vries, a neurosurgeon with a shining reputation who was adopted at the age of 7, enters a coffee shop for her usual evening coffee, three days before Christmas Day. When Yennefer asks the exhausted surgeon what she might get for her, she jokingly tells her a coffee, as well as a fake girlfriend to stop her meddling sisters from being bothersome. To her surprise, Yennefer agrees to provide her with both.
Relationships: Tissaia de Vries/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 58
Kudos: 97





	1. The exhausted Surgeon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mindmypensieve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mindmypensieve/gifts), [Caraamnell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caraamnell/gifts), [bratwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bratwolf/gifts).



> So... this is a Christmas special which was kind of spontaneous. Let me know what you think?
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of The Witcher belong to me, no profit has been made from this and no copyright infringement was intended.

“Sorry!” Yennefer shouted over her shoulder, apologising to the man she just accidentally shoulder-checked in her hurry to get to the coffee shop she worked at. Being late had become a regular occurrence for her, but her manager didn’t mind it too much, luckily. As long as she didn’t break something on her way to work during the wintertime.

The man seems disgruntled and put off by Yen’s good mood, but she doesn’t notice that. All she notices is the snow all around, turning the big city she lives in into a modern winter wonderland. At least for her, as others seem to think the snow and iced pathways a nuisance, at best. Yennefer, of course, was quite aware of that, though she didn’t understand how someone could possibly hate snow, as it added to the Christmas atmosphere.

The snow had appeared overnight, just in time for Christmas in two days, and it had brought with it a sharpness that clung in the air. Although it caused her nose to run a little, Yennefer enjoyed that aspect of the weather, too. She found the fresh air to be far better than the stale, heavy air summer tended to bring with it.

Carefully slowing down before skipping past the entrance to the coffee shop, she chanced a glance into the shop window. She immediately spotted her coworker, Philippa, behind the counter, giving a customer a sickly-sweet smile. If she had to bet, Yen would say Phil currently dealt with a Karen. Not wasting any more time, she pushed open the door, letting in a bout of fresh air. A few patrons sitting close to the door visibly bristled but smiled back at Yen when she caught their eyes.

In the backroom, she shed off her warm coat and grabbed the shop’s standardised apron, quickly putting it on and binding it behind her back. Swinging by the manager’s office to announce her arrival, Istredd held her back, saying he wanted to talk to her for a second. If he hadn’t been such a pushover, albeit a nice one, she would have worried about him being mad at her for being late.

“No worries,” he started off his speech, “I just want to remind you that you’re off tomorrow and we will be closed until the New Year’s Day, so you better not come into work any of the next days. You know, like last year. And since I’ll be off in ten minutes, I wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. And have some fun, alright?” At that, Yen only nodded and returned the sentiment with a polite smile before turning and beginning her shift.

Mentally preparing herself for her shift, she calmly walked over behind the counter, coming to a stop next to Philippa, who looked to be about done with the woman in front of her. “Have a good day, Miss,” she said with clenched teeth and a tight smile. As soon as the Lady was out the door, Phil let out a frustrated groan. How someone as impatient and short-tempered as Philippa managed to work in a coffee shop for this long was something that Yen would never quite understand. She did, however, appreciate the free entertainment.

Already untying her apron, Philippa turned to her and rolled her eyes, saying, “Thank god you’re finally here. Another Karen and I would have flipped some tables.” Yennefer could only laugh at that, seeing as it was a regular threat Phil liked to make. There had only been one incident where the brunette had come close to actually throwing something, and that had been on a particularly trying day.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Phil. Get home safely.” After having Philippa wink at her one last time, she turned to the next customer, who thankfully had a smile on her face and seemed to be in a good mood. Yen always preferred patrons to be in a good mood, they usually didn’t dampen the overall vibe of the shop.

Triss, her close friend and coworker this shift, came in soon after that, and they fell into a comfortable work routine as every Wednesday. Everything went smoothly for about three hours, as it usually did. The occasional angry customer wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Until her very own professor walked in.

Knowing his overall personality from university, Yennefer plastered a fake smile on her face and greeted professor Stregobor with her usual greeting. Squinting at her, he apparently figured out why she seemed familiar, and snapped, “Well well. You’d think any student of mine knew better than to waste their time doing this type of work. You should really be studying, young lady.”

Trying her best not to clench her teeth, she replied, “What would you like to order today, sir?” This obviously did not sit right with him, and Yen let out a sigh of relief when he simply huffed and ordered his coffee. As soon as her back was turned on him, she rolled her eyes so hard she feared she might see her brain.

From behind her, she heard, “You know, it’s a real shame that you chose to waste your life in this dirty shop when you could easily be a model, or have a real job, even.” Statements like these were in no way uncommon for her professor, but by god did it make her blood boil.

Calmly finishing her professor’s coffee, she resisted spitting in it and closed it up instead, sliding it across the counter. “I like to think that everyone should be given the choice as to what job they want to have while studying, sir. Now, have a good day.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and went into the staffroom, leaving Triss out front to cool off. She would only need a minute or two, and she knew her friend could manage without her for that timeframe.

Soon after, as it started to snow again and daylight dwindled, most patrons had left or were about to. Yennefer looked at the giant clock mounted on the wall opposite the counter and frowned. They had to close down the shop in a few minutes and her favourite customer hadn’t come in yet. Which was unusual because she always came in on Wednesdays.

Turning to Triss, she quietly asked, “Was she here while I was in the back earlier?” The fact that Yen didn’t even have to mention who she meant should have been embarrassing to her, but she simply looked at her friend waiting for an answer. Her frown deepened when Triss shook her head with an apologetic look on her face before going back to counting.

After a moment, Yen noticed a worried look on the brunette’s face. Moving closer, she put a hand on her shoulder and asked, “Is everything alright? Something bothering you?” The guilty look she got from Triss already gave her the answer. They had talked about how Sabrina, Triss’ girlfriend, was at home, lying sick on the sofa. Giving her a smile, Yennefer told her to go home and take care of her while she finished closing up herself.

Now on her own, Yennefer gave herself over to her daydreams as she closed down, allowing her muscle memory to kick in as she zoned out thinking about the patron that failed to show up. She didn’t know a lot about the blonde with green eyes, not nearly enough to justify daydreaming about her. She only knew that the woman was the most beautiful creature Yennefer had ever seen and that she was a doctor of sorts, judging by the white coat she sometimes dragged with her. The blonde also had a routine, one which she apparently didn’t like to switch up at all.

She always came in ten minutes before closing time on Wednesdays, and she always ordered a café latte with two extra shots of espresso, almond milk, and honey syrup. A peculiar order, considering she got it in the evening. It always made Yennefer wonder what the gorgeous woman needed to stay awake for in the evening, or if coffee had simply lost all effects on her. She had yet to be brave enough to ask her that directly, though, and every time she got the chance, she fell short of words to use when trying to form an intelligent sentence. Triss had once placatingly told her that, with a breathtaking woman like that, she didn’t blame Yennefer, but the raven-haired woman knew that she was the only one in the coffee shop to have her eye on the mysterious woman.

Mysterious? Probably not, Yennefer mused. Just… not close to her. Which was a tragedy in and of itself, but it seemed as though nothing could be done about that today, so Yennefer resigned herself to dreaming of sparkling green eyes that spoke of wit, and a melodic voice that could lure her anywhere the woman needed or wanted her to go.

Gently chiding herself for holding out hope that the woman might still show up, Yennefer finished wiping down the tables and turned around the open sign. Trying not to let the disappointment get to her, she got new water to clean the floors after sweeping them. A sigh escaped her, and she wondered what kept the woman from getting her usual latte.

Just as she finished mopping the floor, the door opened, letting the bell above it ring through the silence and breaking Yennefer’s train of thought. Turning around with a frown on her face, she wondered whether she had forgotten to turn the open sign to closed or if this person couldn’t read. Her eyes widened substantially when she realised that neither was the case. In the open doorway, letting in the cold winter night air, stood a blonde with sparkling green eyes and a flushed face, her white coat artfully hanging over her lower arm.

Gasping for air, she smiled brightly at Yennefer and said, “Hi. I’m so sorry to barge in after hours, I’m not… trying to be rude or anything. Work ran late today and I wondered if maybe you could make an exception and get me a coffee? Yours is the best around and I really need it after the day I had.” The world seemed to stop turning for a moment when Yen saw the hopeful look on her face, and she immediately knew she couldn’t deny her anything even if she tried.

Yennefer smiled at her, responding, “Sure! That would be a café latte, two extra shots of espresso, almond milk, and honey syrup, correct?” Slightly taken aback, the woman nodded, confirming her order she didn’t even have to repeat it to Yen. Yennefer nodded, moving behind the counter again and casually asking, “Can I get you anything else, ma’am?”

“Tissaia, please. If you remember my order you might as well call me by my name,” answered the blonde, leaning against the counter with an exhausted expression. The barista looked over her shoulder, gave Tissaia a grin and said cheerfully, “Then you may call me Yennefer!”

Halfway through the process of making the order, Yennefer remembered that her question went unanswered and she asked again, turning to Tissaia halfway. A deep sigh escaped Tissaia and she let her head hang low for a second before replying, “No. Unless… I’d need a girlfriend for Christmas, not that I expect you to fulfil that wish. I’m just going home to Gors Velen over the holiday and I fear my sisters will try setting me up with an idiot again if I don’t show up with a girlfriend. They always meddle… do you know the feeling when siblings mean well but they just… go two steps farther than you’d like them to?”

Yennefer chuckled lightly, thinking about why she turned out to be an only child. Fishing for the honey syrup, she said, “No, actually. I don’t have any siblings, just a close friend who thinks he is. But if it is a girlfriend that you need, then I might be able to help you out, especially since I have to go home to Gors Velen as well.”

Head snapping up, Tissaia looked at her with wide eyes and rambled, “Wait, what? Really? You’d do that for me, a stranger? Well, not so much a stranger I suppose, you do know what makes me happy in terms of coffee at least. But… you are serious? You’d essentially be my fake girlfriend over the holidays just to get my sisters off my back?”

“Of course. I have to check on my mother’s house since she is on a business trip anyway, and if worse comes to worst we can always camp out there. We only have to get to know each other so your sisters won’t become suspicious.” While she said that, she wrote down her phone number on the side of Tissaia’s cup, placing it in front of the blonde who smiled at her as though she had just gifted her a kitten.

Making a split-second decision, grabbing a little bag and stuffing a Christmas cookie in there. Laying it down next to the cup, she said, “Here you go. On the house, and let me know your decision sometime soon.” With another brilliant smile, Tissaia grabbed both things, thanked Yennefer and left the shop. But not before looking back at her one last time before closing the door.

Barely containing her joy, Yennefer danced through the shop with a face-splitting grin on her face. This might just be the best thing that happened to her all year, and it was all she could think about for the rest of her shift. Cleaning the machines and locking away the shop’s money went by faster than ever before, and before she knew it, she had locked the doors, put all security measures in place and turned to walk home, enjoying the cold winter night.

Once she got home, she yelled through the house to announce her presence to her roommates. Nobody really yelled back, which was mostly due to the fact that most had already left for the holidays. Yennefer wondered what it was like to go home to meet the family and being welcomed home. Her mother loved her, no doubt about that, but she was also extremely busy.

Just about as busy as Yennefer herself had to get for the rest of the evening. She spent a good hour perfecting the essay she needed to write for one of her classes before turning to the ridiculous amount of studying she had to do for professor Stregobor’s lass. After her fight with him earlier, her motivation was really low for that one.

It, therefore, didn’t come as a surprise when her mind wandered, leaving political science very far behind. Instead, she found herself wondering about Tissaia, already thinking of questions she could ask her on the way to Gors Velen. It would be a five-hour drive, so the two of them had more than enough time to get to know each other.

All the questions she came up with were purely meant to work for the cover, of course. It had to be convincing or otherwise, the sisters would never buy their story. Her interest definitely wasn’t born out of a very persistent crush she had definitely not harboured for months now.

She also most definitely did not jump u and down her room out of joy when she got a text from Tissaia, informing her that the blonde would very much like to take her up on her offer and that she was looking forward to driving to Gors Velen with Yennefer the next day.


	2. Christmas Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yennefer goes shopping with one of her best friends and gets chewed out by both best friends after that while packing for her road trip with Tissaia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more texting, and an ending on a comedic note. Enjoy and lemme know your thoughts!
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of the witcher belong to me. No profit has been made from this and no copyright infringement was intended.

The next morning, Yennefer immediately checked her phone to make sure this whole situation was actually real and she hadn’t dreamt it up. Logically, she knew that she shouldn’t make a big deal out of this. Tissaia only asked her to be her fake girlfriend for Christmas, and it didn’t mean anything. The woman ad shown no interest in her as a person, Yennefer knew that.

But even the chance at pretending filled Yen with joy. She had never hoped to get a chance with the beautiful woman, so this was more than she had ever hoped for. She just really shouldn’t get her hopes up. Yen probably wasn’t even Tissaia’s type. Though, if she wasn’t, would the woman have asked her?

Had she asked Yennefer, really? Now that she thought about it, she had practically thrown herself at what was likely supposed to be a dry joke, and Tissaia had been the one to accept the offer. Surely she wouldn’t have done that if she thought her sisters would notice something was up?

A notification interrupted her rollercoaster of a mental journey, and Yennefer jumped a little before gripping her phone tighter and checking it. She gulped when Tissaia’s name showed on the screen, and she couldn’t help but wonder whether this was a freak coincidence or the universe trying to mock her.

_Tissaia:_ _Good morning, Yennefer. I was wondering whether you had a suitable car for the drive? Mine would never fit both of us and our things, sadly. Do I need to organise a rental?_

A smile slowly spread on Yennefer’s face as she let herself fall back into the mountain of pillows on her bed. A few months back, her mother had force-gifted her an Audi rsq8, and she had been very mad about that since her car had been just fine - if a little small and definitely old. Now, she found herself extremely grateful for having her car, which she had used so seldomly that it still had the smell of a new car.

_Yennefer: Not to worry, I got us covered on that front! All I need is the address we are going to and a suggestion on what to get you and your sisters for Christmas._

After pressing send, she forced herself to put down her phone and get up. Today would be more stressful than she had planned for, but she vowed to herself that it will be worth it. Even though she had to leave the house before nine to get all the additional shopping done. After throwing on a minimum of makeup, her warmest black jeans, and a white sweater that had comfortably wide sleeves, she looked into the mirror and nodded approvingly. Putting on some high heeled boots, she grabbed her cloak, scarf and purse to leave the house, only to double back and grab her phone from where she had left it on the bed.

Sneaking a look into her car, she sneered a bit, realising she’d have to get rid of one or two odd items she had previously left. Namely her gym bag that hasn’t been used in weeks and a few letters from her father she hadn’t opened yet. The chime from her phone pulled her attention away from the unpleasant thought of having to read her father’s words, and she checked the message.

_Tissaia: Splendid! Coral loves true crime documentaries and books on anything dark. Vanielle is more the snow globes and any type of flower type, and while I may not look like it, I’ll read any good book you set in front of me. But you don’t have to get them anything! I’m sure it will be fine if we say we pooled resources on this one. Would you be okay with picking me up at 222 Thanedd Ave at two?_

Sending her a short affirmation, Yennefer got into her car and drove off to the nearest mall that had a bookstore. She mentally cursed herself for asking for the address they would go to instead of the one where she was supposed to pick up her girlfriend – _fake_ girlfriend. Luckily, Tissaia did not seem to be too mad about that, judging by her text. Granted, Tissaia generally formulated her texts to sound neutral, but Yennefer liked to be hopeful.

After parking her car, Yennefer went straight to the bookstore, where she looked around until she spotted her best friend. The short man already had his book in the newest poetry book, which did not surprise Yennefer in the least, and she approached him with a playful roll of her eyes. She couldn’t keep a grin off her face when he jumped as she tapped his shoulder.

“Did you absolutely have to sneak up on me, Yennefer? I swear, one of these days I’ll die of a heart attack of your making!” Laughing at his theatrics, she snatched the book out of his hand, giving it a once-over. She never quite understood what he found to be so captivating about poetry, or what had compelled her to chose a poetry-loving theatre kid as a best friend in middle school. She didn’t regret it one bit, though.

“Jaskier, it’s honestly not my fault that you get lost in this kind of… art, you drama queen. Are you good?” she asked, handing the book back. He took it, glowering at her before his look turned curious and he said he was fine, but would like to know why Yen radiated happiness like a cliché Christmas movie all of a sudden.

Shuffling her feet, Yennefer replied, “Well, it is kind of a long story. The short version is that I won’t be able to spend all day with you and need to get some more Christmas presents. Also snacks for the road trip to my mother’s house but you knew about that already.”

Nodding slowly, Jaskier accepted that answer and followed her around the bookstore while she looked for the newest book release on the continents most famous serial killer, as well as the gayest fantasy book she could find. She knew that she would have to answer her best friend’s questions later, but for now, she would concentrate on getting gifts for Tissaia and her sisters.

At the register, Yen wordlessly took Jaskier’s book, ignoring his protests about how he could buy his own books. With a chuckle, she said, “Consider it compensation for our time being cut short, why don’t you, love. Now come along, we need to get to the grocery store.”

After placing the three books in her bag, two of which now wrapped in Christmas paper, she went straight to the aisles with the snacks. There, she put an assortment of chocolate treats, chips, and cookies in her basked while Jaskier disapprovingly said, “I swear, Yennefer, your teeth will rot and fall out of your mouth one day. How can one person eat this many sweets in a week?”

“Oh, I plan on all of this to be gone by this evening,” she replied casually while wandering over to the aisle with the drinks. She loved scandalising her friend. He didn’t pay that much attention to his consumption habits himself, but her sweet-tooth topped his food preferences by far.

Mouth dropping open, Jaskier elected to just stare at her in disbelief for a second. Then, when he decided he was done and they walked by the fruit section, he tossed a pack of grapes into her basket, which were quickly followed by tomatoes. When she eyed him from the side, he simply stated, “If you plan on eating this much crap, you might as well throw in something healthy every hour.”

Knowing that Jaskier only wanted what was best for her, she sighed and refrained from protesting. Shaking her head ever so slightly, she simply dragged her friend along to self-checkout so they could leave. Or rather, go to the next store. There was still one thing she needed to get, and luckily she remembered the little indie store that had a few snow globes with flowers in them.

“Jaskier,” she started, knowing fully well she had no clue about symbolism or plants, “Which of these do I choose when first meeting someone and wanting to thank them for hospitality?” Despite the strange request, Jaskier considered the options and gave her a globe with a flower she couldn’t name even if her life depended on it.

After paying the nice old lady who owned the shop, they went to the food court and got themselves something for brunch to eat at Yennefer’s place. Or better: in Yennefer’s bed, as they did so often when meeting up to gossip or watch a movie or two.

As soon as they had arrived at said bed, Jaskier bounced on the mattress like an overly excited child and said, “Okay, Yennefer, you’ve been weirdly happy all morning, spill the tea!” A dry chuckle escaped her lips and she passed him the food and fork, letting him start eating while she launched into her story.

“Okay so, you know the pretty doctor lady that always comes into the shop on Wednesday’s?” Jaskier stopped bouncing as he realised where this was going, and he looked at her with an unimpressed look on his face and said, “If you’re about to tell me that she changed up her order for once or smiled at you again, then I swear I will yeet you out the window.”

Yennefer smiled at him sheepishly, painfully aware of how many times she had gushed about Tissaia smiling at her or exchanging a few pleasantries now and then. She definitely didn’t have a crush on the blonde, but if she had, then Jaskier would be the one to know about it first. And the one to hear about it most often.

“No, nothing like that,” she said in between bites. “We talked last night, and, uh. I’ll be spending Christmas with her and her sisters. As her girlfriend.” The last part came out rushed and mumbled and she quickly stuffed her face with food, having a feeling that Jaskier might not be as supportive of the rather brilliant idea that definitely couldn’t go wrong in any way, shape or form.

His blank stare confirmed her suspicion. The fact that he stared at her like that for far too long did not make her situation or stress level any better. When he finally found words for an answer, he practically shouted, “Are you completely out of your mind? This sort of bullshit never ends well! What were you thinking, Yennefer, really? Were you thinking at all? When has playing the girlfriend of a stranger ever worked out in anyone’s favour?!”

Looking into her food as though it held all the answers, the raven-haired woman searched her mind for a good example. As it was, she came up with nothing, maybe because he had a point. These things didn’t exist, because these arrangements always ended either in tragedy or attempted murder. Maybe that was a tad exaggerated, but when someone spends as much time with Jaskier as she had, they were bound to pick up some of his antics.

Looking at him with a pleading look on her face, she responded, “Look, I know what this looks like. But we will just get to know each other on the drive there, stop at my mother’s house along the way since I had to go there either way and then spend 48 hours at her place in the same town. Seriously, what could go wrong?”

Outraged, Jaskier threw his hands in the air, saying, “Famous last words, my idiot friend, but hey, you do you. Don’t come to me when you get your heartbroken by the pretty doctor lady-“ “Tissaia,” Yennefer supplied, slightly throwing him off. Looking at her incredulously, he continued, “Either way, when Tissaia breaks your heart, don’t come crying to me because I’ll say I told you so. And you best believe that you will be checking in with me twice a day, young lady!”

Looking at him in mock-annoyance, Yennefer said, “I’m older than you but fine. I’ll check in after breakfast and before bed tomorrow and the day after. But only if I absolutely have to.” To that, Jaskier only said that she wouldn’t get out of it, and then continued eating his food. They continued to engage in mindless banter after that, mainly complaining about unreasonable professors.

Around twelve, Yennefer started packing her bag with Jaskier still casually lounging on her bed, playing with a baseball which Yen didn’t even know where it had originally come from. As she went through her wardrobe, there was a knock on the door. Turning to the door, she said, “Enter.”

The door opened and Triss came in, chestnut curls powdered with snow from her walk here. Yennefer smiled at her and said hello, inquiring what brought her here. A timid smile on her face, Triss said, “I just wanted to bring you some cookies for the road, you know, as a little thank you for letting me out early last night.”

Holding out her hand, Triss presented her a bag of self-made cookies. Yennefer grinned and thanked her, knowing how delicious they were going to be. Triss walked over to her desk and sat down on her chair, looking around the room with a minorly confused expression. To Yennefer’s chagrin, Jaskier chimed in, “Hey Yen, why don’t you tell her what great idea you got herself into?”

She glared at Jaskier but already saw out of the corner of her eyes that Triss had turned to her with a questioning look. Heaving a sigh, she turned to the wardrobe again, avoiding direct eye contact with Triss, and said, “So, the pretty doctor, Tissaia, as it turns out, came by last night after all. We got to talking and as it turned out she needed someone to be her girlfriend for Christmas so her sisters would get off her back. I offered to do that since it’s in my home town.”

Since she busied herself with her choice of clothes, she didn’t notice the exchange of looks between the two brunettes, Triss wordlessly begging Jaskier to tell her Yen was joking. When no such reassurance came, she said, “You are going home with a customer you barely know to play happy family? The same customer who you have been obsessing over for months now?”

“I haven’t been obsessing over her,” scoffed Yennefer petulantly. And she was right to do so. In her mind. Looking over at Triss and Jaskier, she realized that she was the only one thinking that way. “Listen, it will all be fine. It will work out super well and I will be back home the day after tomorrow.”

Jaskier chose this point in time to intervene, seemingly taking pity on Yen, and suggested, “Come on, pretty Triss, let’s leave her to her fantasies. I have a book to show you, anyway.” And with that, the two of them said goodbye, though Triss made it a point to tell Yen to be careful and come back in one piece. Yennefer smiled at that and reassured her that it would be fine.

Once she was finally alone, Yennefer let herself fall onto her bed and breathed a sigh of relief. She loved her friends dearly, but sometimes they were a tad too much. They meant well, she knew that, but sometimes they needed to trust the process. Not necessarily her kind of process when “decorating” her nemesis’ car at two in the morning after a night out, but this was entirely different.

Resisting the urge to take a nap – she would never wake up in time since she already ran behind – she jumped up and took a last look through her bag, making sure that she brought everything she would need. Knowing herself, she probably brought double of what she needed, but old habits really did die hard.

Satisfied with her bag, she snatched a basked from the top of her wardrobe and began to put the snacks into it – after washing the fruit Jaskier had forced her to buy. Forced might be the wrong word, though, since Yennefer did not know how healthy Tissaia liked to eat. She certainly wouldn’t make a good impression when offering a health-freak candy, and nothing but candy.

Finally snatching the bag with the Christmas gifts from in front of her bed, she said her goodbyes to the last roommates that were left in the house, telling them not to get into too much trouble while she was gone. They only waved at her lazily, but she hadn’t expected a warm goodbye.

At her car, she put her bag in the trunk, discovering her gym bag and mentally cursing herself for forgetting about that and having to double back now. Passing through the living room, she thought she could hear her roommates chuckle ever so slightly, but she couldn’t be sure. She also lacked the time to call them out on it.

Back at the car, she wedged the basket between the middle console and the backseat, making the snacks easily accessible from the passenger’s seat. Happy with her handiwork, Yennefer snatched a chocolate bar out of the basket and munched on it before strapping in to get Tissaia from the address she had given her, which thankfully was only about twenty minutes away. With a little bit of speeding, she should get there on time, after all.

The amount of relief washing over Yennefer when she saw a parking spot right in front of where Tissaia was already waiting was surreal. The woman was on her phone and didn’t even look up at the galaxy blue car that had appeared in front of her. Softly shaking her head, Yennefer got out and walked around the hood, coming to a stop in front of the blonde, making her look up from her phone.

“May I take your suitcase, my Lady?” Yennefer asked smoothly, a smirk showing on her face. Tissaia, slightly surprised at her sudden appearance, looked from her to her car, eyes going wide. Even people who didn’t know Yennefer, like Tissaia, would never expect her to have this type of car.

Pointing back and forth between Yen and the car, she asked in a hushed tone, “You work in a coffee shop… I sure hope that car isn’t stolen?” The concern was obvious, but Yennefer couldn’t help but laugh at Tissaia’s words. With a wink, Yen took the suitcase and put it in the trunk with her own bag and the presents.

When she got back into the car, Tissaia already looked around, taking in the technical gadgets the car had to offer. Giving her a warm smile, Yennefer said, “My mother gave me this car. She pays for it as well as my education, which I am extremely grateful for, even if the car isn’t what people would expect of me. Feel free to use anything you wish and take whatever you like from the snacks.”

Nodding, Tissaia whispered, “Right, your mother the businesswoman,” before turning and gingerly picking out a cookie that Yen had artfully put between some grapes. “Ready?” Yen asked, still looking at Tissaia, who looked over from under her eyelashes mid-bite, giving her a soft nod.


	3. Long Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two ladies are on the way home, only to stop at a gas station and be confronted with a very rude Vilgefortz. Tissaia takes a look around Yen's childhood home while Yen feeds the cats and listens to Jaskier being his usual protective self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a bit early tonight, but I don't think y'all mind, do you? Happy Sunday and leave a comment, if you feel like it.
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of the witcher belong to me. No profit has been made and no copyright infringement was intended.

The two women had already passed over three of the five-hour drive, asking each other questions and getting to know one another. During this time, Yennefer had gotten to know Tissaia as a pretty outgoing and open person. Outgoing enough to feed her chocolate bars while Yen drove and making one or two teasing remarks about it afterwards.

Yen had found out a great deal about her passenger, and none of it served to diminish her interest. Tissaia had basically jumpstarted her career by skipping some years and notoriously staying on top of her class. Hell, she had done so at the best college their country had to offer. After that, Tissaia had continued to build up her reputation across the country, slowly becoming the best neurosurgeon this nation had to offer.

Most of their time was spent on exchanging favourite meals – pancakes for Yennefer – or former pets, like Tissaia’s German Shephard, called Mickey. Yennefer had enthusiastically told Tissaia about the stray cat her mother had allowed her to keep when she had been four years old. Felix had stayed with them for many years, though they never locked him inside their house.

At some point, they had talked about their parents, and that’s when Yennefer learned that Tissaia’s parents actually died in a car crash when she was only seven years old. The blonde insisted that it was okay, but Yennefer wasn’t too sure about that.

“So, your mother is a businesswoman, what does your father do?” Tissaia had meant well with the change of subject, Yennefer was sure. It was just too bad that she asked about the one thing that had always been a sore point for the raven-haired woman.

Grimacing, Yennefer replied, “I don’t really talk about the bastard, not that I ever knew him, anyway.” The dark look on her face must have told Tissaia all she needed to know, because she gazed at her with a knowing expression and lightly teased, “Well, your mother did a well enough job at raising you, all things considered. Also thanks for telling me that before dinner.”

The playful slap on the shoulder threw Yennefer off, but she let her dark thoughts go and got back to interrogating Tissaia. Half an hour later she had found out that the woman liked pretty rocks and had undergone a mythology phase before going to college. Mythology was something Yennefer hadn’t expected them to have in common, especially not with Tissaia’s love for science.

Another thing they had in common was their hate for overused Christmas music. The two of them had spent a solid ten minutes complaining about how the radio never played anything new, just so that Yennefer could ask Tissaia about what music she did like. Luckily, the blonde had great taste, and so Yennefer asked her to chose the music for the rest of the drive. Judging by the Spotify playlist she started, Yennefer began to think that she wasn’t the only one who had prepared for this spontaneous road trip the night before.

Taking a look at the dashboard, Yen silently cursed herself for not filling up her gas tank. With a sheepish smile, she turned to Tissaia and asked, “Would you mind if we stopped at the next gas station? I didn’t get to fuel up before we left.”

Tissaia let out a hearty laugh in return. She relaxed even more into the passenger seat, head leaning against the head-rest as she turned to Yen with a twinkle in her eyes. With a throaty voice, she teased, “Then I guess it’s necessary, we wouldn’t want us to spend the night in the car, or did you bring a heating blanket?”

Feeling her cheeks go pink, Yen set the indicator and changed the lane. Clearing her throat, she responded, “Well, not exactly. The car could be used for camping, strictly speaking, but I didn’t bring the equipment for that.”

“Too bad,” whispered Tissaia, turning away from Yen after studying the woman’s profile. The beeping of her phone signalled a message for the blonde, and she looked down to check it, her hair flowing forward, creating a curtain that blocked Yen’s view. Not that she was looking, she had a vehicle to drive.

Two hours into the drive, Tissaia had let down her hair, which turned out to be pretty long. Longer than Yennefer’s, at any rate. It had taken a lot for Yennefer not to stare at the woman in wonder and have an accident. All of a sudden, she had been glad that the woman had always come into the coffee shop with some elaborate updo, because if she hadn’t, Yennefer was positive that she would have turned into a complete stuttering mess. She shuddered to think about the endless teasing she would’ve had to endure, had Philippa ever found out about her being a “useless lesbian”.

Pulling up to one of the gas pumps, she smiled at the blonde as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. Putting her card in, she began filling up her car. Behind her, Tissaia got out of the car, stretching in what little sunlight was left. Looking over her shoulder, Yennefer raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I thought of going inside to get some peanuts if they have them, a terrible oversight of yours not to bring any,” Tissaia teased. The raven-haired woman scoffed, turning back to the pump and telling her she would be right behind her.

Finishing the process, Yennefer took her card and turned to go inside, stopping as she saw Tissaia through the window. She laughed at something the man in front of her said. It was such a captivating, beautiful sight. So much so that Yennefer almost didn’t notice the man looking at Tissaia as though she represented the stars. Almost. But he oozed so much slimy charm that it truly was hard to miss.

Yennefer had no place to be jealous, or angry at him. Tissaia possessed so much beauty, it surprised her that her path wasn’t lined with suitors, falling at her feet. That, however, didn’t mean that Yennefer liked the thought of this wannabe hitting on her girlfriend. Fake-girlfriend, but still her girlfriend.

Strutting in there as though she owned the place, Yennefer only came to a stop when she almost hit the counter next to Tissaia. Just one look at her expression told the raven-haired woman that she actually seemed to feel pretty uncomfortable with the attention she received. A slight spark of relief shone in her eyes when she looked at Yennefer, who casually brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her face and let it rest on Tissaia’s shoulders as she gave her a loving look.

“Tissaia, my love, did you get everything we need? We have to get going if we want to be home in time for dinner,” she said in an overly affectionate tone in an effort to make it abundantly clear to the dense man that his efforts were moot. Judging by the way his smile slid right off his face, Yennefer guessed she had succeeded.

Her victory, however, was short-lived, because the man with dark holes for eyes turned back to Tissaia with a sleazy grin. The spark of relief slowly died in green eyes, but not completely. With a smirk that probably was supposed to be charming, he said, “Well, this one seems a bit uptight. If you ever need someone to let go, just call this number.”

Looking at the card he held out with major distaste, Tissaia didn’t even try smiling as she answered, “Listen, Vilgefortz, my girlfriend has quite the temper, and I do see a stool over there. If you don’t want this thing to hit you over the head, I suggest you back the fuck off. Have a nice day.”

Without waiting for an answer, she put a few dollars on the counter, took her peanuts and left. A dreamy smile spreading on her face, Yen looked after her before remembering that she had nothing left to do here, so she waved at the man behind the counter cheekily before sauntering after her girlfriend. If only Tissaia would continue calling her that.

Back at the car, Yennefer looked at the blonde with a full-blown grin and said, “You are absolutely brilliant, Tissaia,” and opens the door for her. Instead of getting in, however, Tissaia invaded her personal space, having them stand almost toe to toe.

“Are you this jealous in all of your relationships, Yennefer?” she asked, pronouncing her name in a way that made her head spin. The appraising look the blonde gave her was enough to almost make her knees go weak.

Eyes involuntarily dropping to Tissaia’s lips, she asked, “Was it too much?” Worry overcame her, making her wonder if she had maybe overstepped. True, Tissaia had seemed uncomfortable, but that hadn’t necessarily meant that she needed saving from anyone.

“No,” said Tissaia with a sly grin, breathing in deep as though relishing Yennefer’s perfume, “Just the right amount. It was rather hot, really.” Without another word, she sat back down in the passenger seat and closed the door.

Yennefer just stood there for a moment. Her eyes blown wide open, and red colouring her cheeks. Her brain tried to catch up, figure out what had just happened, but no such luck. She did, however, remember where they were when another car pulled onto the property, and she sprang into action, walking around the car and getting in to continue their drive. Her cheeks still as red as tomatoes.

* * *

An hour later, they pulled up into the driveway of Yennefer’s mother’s house. She never liked thinking of it as her own, she had never done anything to earn it other than being born. She did like the house itself, however. A bit too big for just her mother and her, but beautiful all the same.

Sitting in the parked car, Tissaia looked out with interest before asking if that’s the house she grew up in. Giving her an awkward chuckle, Yen looked over and asked, “Do you want to stay here or come inside?”

“Come inside? My, my, how scandalous, dear,” she replied with her usual, teasing tone. She still got outside and walked towards the door, though, apparently not willing to miss out on this opportunity of seeing her childhood home.

Unlocking the mahogany door to the house with a grey brick façade, Yennefer stepped aside to let Tissaia in. The entrance was a wide-open space, and Tissaia’s heels clicked on the white marble floor, echoing in the vast empty space. Holding out her hand, Yennefer took Tissaia’s coat and hung it in the small closet to their right and closed it again.

When she turned around, she saw Tissaia look from the wide staircase to the portrait hanging opposite of the closet. She appraised it for a while, not commenting on it until Yennefer came to stand next to her. “You and your mother, I presume? She must be proud of you if she displays you like that,” she said, not turning to look at Yen.

A smile tugged at her lips and she said, “I suppose. She might be busy all the time, but she shows her love this way. And with gifts. This was actually painted before I left for college, I didn’t get to see it until I got home for Christmas. I wanted to see it so badly I almost got into a speeding ticket on the way.”

They both shared a laugh before Yennefer led her into the attached sun porch where she had to make sure her mother’s plants had enough water. Tissaia’s eyes roamed the room until one plant caught her attention. Furrowing her brow, she stepped closer to it and asked, “Isn’t this plant supposed to be super hard to keep alive?”

The raven-haired woman turned to her and looked at the plant in question. She herself had no talent when it came to gardening, but she did know that Tissaia was correct. Walking over to the plant in question, she gently touched its leaves and said, “It is. My mother has a super green thumb, though, she also invested in some super elaborate system that gives all the plants exactly what they need. And when she isn’t home, our gardener, Gustav, takes care of her plants and the garden. I’d show it to you, but there is very little to see thanks to the snow.”

“That’s not a problem, Yen. Vanielle is the flower freak, not me. I just know she ranted about this particular one and how hard it is to get seeds for it. I’m more of a comfortable reading room type of woman,” said Tissaia with a warm smile on her face before she sauntered over to the next plant. Yennefer nodded and finished up checking on the plants to the best of her abilities. Thankfully, Gustav was scheduled to come by in the morning and check on them himself, he knew more about these plants than she did.

Her main task actually was checking on their cats, which probably slept in their small library. Seeing an opportunity, she watched Tissaia and asked, “Reading room, you say? I may have just the thing for you, care to follow me?”

Tissaia blinked at her in surprise, but quickly replaced her expression with a satisfied smirk and said, “Well, if you put it like that, who would ever refuse you?” and followed her down the hall.

On the first floor, they entered a rather large room, walls stacked with bookshelves. In the middle stood a soft cushioned sofa as well as a matching armchair, in which two cats laid together, snuggled up and half on top of each other.

As soon as they entered, the cats raised their heads to stare at them, and Yennefer said, “These two are Balty and Gabe. My mother named them after angels but they do not behave like what you imagine angels to be.” By the time she had finished her sentence, the two had already gotten up to run over, checking for potential treats. Gluttons, the both of them.

“They are beautiful, though, you have to give them that. So is the library, by the way. Would you mind if I looked around a bit?” asked Tissaia politely. Before Yen could give the blonde an answer, she was interrupted by her phone, which alerted her of the fact that she had a message. Checking it quickly, she discovered that it was Jaskier, demanding a check-in.

Looking back up, she gave an apologetic smile and responded, “You can look around all you want, Tissaia. I’ll go into the kitchen and feed these two, and then I’ll call Jaskier real quick to let him know that everything went fine. Meet up in the living room downstairs?”

“So you’re telling him I haven’t murdered you yet, how nice of you,” teased Tissaia, giving her a wink before sauntering over to the books. At some point, Yennefer had been bored and alone at home, so she had organised the books after topic and author’s names. Maybe that would benefit Tissaia as well, not that the woman was looking for something specific.

On her way to the kitchen, Yennefer stopped by the pantries and took some of the seeds for the special plant Tissaia had pointed out. If her sister loved plants so much, she probably had the skills to care for them as well. It wasn’t as though her mother would miss the seeds anyway.

Once the cats’ bowls were full, she fished her phone out of her back pocket and dialled Jaskiers number, thinking about the audacity with which he had demanded a call. He might be worried for her heart but that didn’t warrant him being as commanding or dramatic. Then again, Jaskier wouldn’t be Jaskier if he wasn’t dramatic. The only time that ever happened was when he had come down with a nasty case of the flu, which shut him up more effectively than the threat to hit him with a shoe. That had scared Yen, actually, but just a little.

When the call connected, she jokingly said, “Oh great Jaskier, how honoured I feel that thou carest so much about me to command me around like a little lap-dog.” Her comedic efforts weren’t rewarded as they should have been, with a laugh. No, instead he just scoffed, saying that he wouldn’t have to worry about her if she behaved like a responsible adult.

“And where is the fun in that?” her light tone told Jaskier that she didn’t really want an answer to that. So instead of going on about it, he responded, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Girls just wanna have fun and all that jazz. Well, did the drive go well, at least, or is she about to murder you for being an obnoxious ass?”

Yennefer huffed in response and said, “No, she is not. She is perfectly polite and an absolute dream, if you must know. We have a few things in common, but not enough to make me feel weirded out and question whether we’re actually siblings.”

She took a second to drop onto the white sofa in the living room with the green walls. Gazing at the ceiling, she couldn’t help but think back to the drive and how they had laughed and sung along to songs. With a dopey grin on her face, she said, “Jaskier, she is really great.”

“Good lord,” groaned Jaskier, “You have it even worse than before you left. I didn’t think that was even remotely possible. You’re in deep, Yen. Way deeper than is good for you.”

Just as she started to deny his accusations, she saw Tissaia coming through the doorway, leaning against the back of the couch with a smile on her face. Reciprocating the smile, Yen decided that the call would have to be continued at a later date and said, “Yeah, okay, Jaskier. Either way, we have to get going now. I’ll text you once we arrived at Tissaia’s house.”

Almost as soon as she had hung up on her best friend, Tissaia smirked and cheekily said, “Did you tell him where we are going in case you mysteriously go missing?” If Yennefer didn’t know any better, she’d say Tissaia was actually flirting with her right now. But that wasn’t happening, was it?

So instead of letting herself dream, she laughed freely and said, “Nah, it was just Jaskier and his antics. I told you about him earlier, right? Been best friends forever, and he has gotten very protective for some reason, even though he gets into way more trouble than I.”

They both chuckle, and Tissaia shakes her head as she follows the younger woman out to the entrance hall to shrug on her coat again. The drive may not be too long, but the car surely had cooled down considerably in the meantime.

Yen locks up behind them and they get into her car. Backing out of the driveway, Yennefer put a smile on her face and said, “Let’s go meet your family.”

Apparently noticing that the raven-haired woman was a tad nervous, Tissaia gently laid her hand on her elbow and reassured her, “Adopted family, and if you stay anything like the way you have shown yourself to me then they will actually be asking us when they should expect a wedding invitation.”

That only calmed her nerves so much, seeing as they had to find a way out of this after Christmas was over in two days. Tissaia’s adopted family was supposed to believe this act for two days, not expect them to get married by June.

_“Not that getting married to a wonderful woman like Tissaia would be a bad thing,”_ thought Yennefer with a pang of longing in her chest. Maybe Jaskier had been right. Maybe she really was in deeper than advisable now.


	4. Meeting the "In-Laws"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where they arrive at Tissaia's home and are welcomed by Coral and Vanielle. Vanielle is all excited about decorating the tree, and Yennefer tries to get comfortable with being there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you had a better start into the week than me, honestly. And I promise I don't hate Coral, really. Leave me a comment, lemme know what you think, aye?
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of the Witcher belong to me. No profit has been made from this and no copyright infringement was intended.

On the other side of town, they perked on the side of the road in front of the house Tissaia spent half her childhood in. The house had about the same dimensions as Yennefer’s, maybe a tad smaller, and with less garden space. The property also hadn’t been fenced off with high hedges, Yen noted.

No, they had a full view on the façade from the sidewalk, where they retrieved their baggage from the trunk. Decoration in form of chain lights hung from the rain gutter and windowsills. Most of them shone white, but some were red or yellow as well. It reminded Yen of when Tissaia had told her how proud a Gryffindor Coral turned out as.

In the front yard stood a glowing reindeer with a glowing sleigh behind it, and Yennefer wondered if Vanielle had chosen that one. Vanielle did sound more romantically inclined than Coral, and Tissaia didn’t come home often enough to have bought something that looked this new.

Before they could walk all the way up to the door, a brunette threw it open and rushed out to them. Standing by awkwardly, Yennefer watched as one of the sisters hugged Tissaia, who gave a welcoming chuckle, tight enough she thought she could hear her rips crack. The other sister, a red-head, remained in the doorway, watching the scene unfold with an attentive expression. Yen could already tell that this woman would give her a harder time than she personally thought necessary.

“I’ve missed you so much, Tissaia, you really need to come home more often,” said the brunette who now leaned back to get a proper look at her sister. Anyone watching could detect an almost overwhelming amount of love coming off of the brunette.

Tissaia looked at her with just as much love, replying, “Vanielle, I missed you too, but you know I can’t just take off whenever I please.” The brunette did not seem overly happy with that response and swatted Tissaia’s shoulder, chastising her about being the youngest and listening to her elders.

Ignoring her as best as she could, Tissaia gestured at Yen, possibly hoping to distract from the topic, and introduced her. Turning to the raven-haired woman, Vanielle looked her up and down, taking in the black jeans and her mulberry coloured coat. A smile appeared on her face, which radiated warmth and seemed welcoming, yet distant. With a slightly teasing tone, she said, “The infamous girlfriend. Nice to meet you. We haven’t heard much of you yet, but please do try and get her out of work more often.”

A nervous laugh escaped her and she tried talking herself out of it, mentioning how important work was to Tissaia and that she could be glad that they got her away for Christmas, at the very least.

Suddenly, Vanielle’s face lit up and she excitedly said, “Speaking of Christmas! Thank goodness you are finally here, I’m itching to decorate the tree with all of you, it has stood barren for far too long. Come on!”

Confused, Yennefer looked over to Tissaia, who had an exasperated look on her face. Before she could follow Vanielle, who had already disappeared inside, the blonde held her back, giving her a peck on the cheek and whispering into her ear, “No matter what happens, only hang the ornaments and baubles I give you, understand?”

After a nod, Tissaia let her go and went inside, only stopping briefly to say hello to her other sister, Coral, who commented, “Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in this fine evening. Hello Tissaia, Yennefer.”

A polite smile on her lips, Yennefer – who had relaxed a bit after meeting Vanielle – offered her hand and replied, “Hey, it’s nice to meet you. Tissaia told me a lot about you.”

“Oh is it nice? Only time will tell, darling girl,” replied the red-head with a cynical edge to her voice, not taking the hand. Yen slowly let her hand fall and ducked her head, following after Tissaia as silently as possible.

Their things were left in the entryway for now, since none of them felt like dealing with it at the moment. Least of all Vanielle, who already stood by the tree, basically bouncing up and down with excitement rolling off of her in waves.

With a slight shake of her head, Tissaia sat in an armchair next to the tree, giving Yennefer a meaningful look. Thankfully, the raven-haired woman got the message and sat down next to the tree closest to Tissaia, while Vanielle sat further away already rifling through boxes. Coral, for her part, sat in a chair next to Vanielle, sipping on a glass of what looked to be whiskey.

It all went smoothly for a while. Yennefer helped Vanielle drape a golden garland around the giant tree and also positioned some fake candles from a chain light on some branches. She also hung a few baubles and ornaments, all selected by Tissaia, most of which were either gold, silver, red, or a random mix of those colours.

All went well until Coral bent over a box and pulled out an expensive-looking glass bauble. With a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, she held it out to Yennefer, who gave it a puzzled look before turning to Tissaia, waiting on instructions as to how she should handle this particular situation. Tissaia’s face, however, was completely blank, not giving away any emotion as she stared down Coral, who only smirked with a raised brow.

Looking down at the obviously fragile bauble, Yennefer’s eyes widened as she realised what she held in her hands. Looking back at Coral, she said, “This is a 160-year-old bauble by the glass manufacturer Adda, isn’t it? Those gold details on it are one of a kind, and she only ever made about five-hundred with this particular motif.”

At that, Coral’s jaw dropped, looking between Yen and Tissaia in disbelief. Vanielle, for her part, seemed equally as puzzled, but asked, “How do you know so much about Tissaia’s heirloom? That seems like a strange thing to just randomly know.”

Turning red, Yennefer only now thought of what it might look like if she knew too much about Tissaia’s possessions, especially since the sisters didn’t know too much else about her knowledge. Praying to anyone who would listen that she wouldn’t start to stutter now, she explained, “I had… In my first year of college I had to take an additional class and, well, I chose art history. Our teacher had a thing for Adda, what can I say. Not that I blame her, she created magnificent works of art.”

With that, she looked away from Vanielle and turned to Tissaia, holding the bauble out to her. Since it was an heirloom, she guessed that Tissaia would want to hang that one herself. A soft smile played around Tissaia’s lips and she said gently, “No, go ahead, Yennefer. Give it a good spot where it doesn’t fall.”

Coral looked at her as though she had lost her mind, and Yennefer couldn’t help but wonder what had just happened. She didn’t argue, however, and instead stood to hang it near the centre, where the sunlight would hit it just right in the morning, and she wondered if the light would reflect as beautifully as she thought it would.

Once she felt satisfied with its position, she sat back down, leaning against the side of Tissaia’s chair. Vaguely aware that her girlfriend was moving, she remained still, only looking up to see what was going on. A hand gently brushed back her hair, pulling it behind her ear and Tissaia pressed a feather-light kiss onto her forehead. “Thank you, darling,” she whispered.

Before she could even think of a response, Coral, who had apparently recovered from her shock, announced, “Well! We need to go shopping tomorrow. I’ll take Yennefer to the mall, we can meet up at the bookstore if you want.”

Tissaia looked about ready to protest to that, but Vanielle was already giving her perfectly timed addition to this conversation, “Yes, I quite agree. Tissaia and I will go into the city and then meet you at the bookstore in the mall after lunch. Which also means we have an early start tomorrow! With that being said, we should go to bed. We aren’t getting any younger, am I right? Good night you three, and sleep well!” With that, she took off and went up the stairs to goodness knows where her bedroom was.

Coral stood and stretched as well, getting ready to leave. Tissaia let out a frustrated sigh at their play. Before Coral left them, she said, “We left you some food in the kitchen. Leftovers of Vanielle’s famous lasagna, enjoy!”

Tissaia, noting that one detail was missing here, called her name, causing her to stop. From her position in the chair, she asked her sister, “Which room did you prepare for Yennefer?”

A broad grin spread over Coral’s face and she said in the most innocent voice she had used all evening, “Why, we didn’t. We simply figured that she would sleep with you.” Yennefer didn’t think she would have had to say it in a way that sounded so ambiguous, but she was also beginning to suspect that it wouldn’t be Coral if she gave them anything in a straight manner.

“In my… Coral, you know how tiny that bed in my old room is, you can’t be serious. You know me, come on,” protested Tissaia, trying to make her sister see reason. She had no such luck, though.

Sweetly, her sister disarmed her argument by countering, “Yes dear, and since I remember your last relationship, I know that you two will be completely fine. Now, sleep well, cuddle bugs!” With that she left them, not bothering to look around another time before vanishing up the stairs in the dark.

Heaving a sigh, Tissaia got out of the chair and motioned for Yennefer to follow along. As if on cue, Yennefer’s stomach announced its discontent at being ignored for so long. Tissaia laughed softly, commenting, “Let’s feed the beast, shall we?”

Together they sit at the small table in the kitchen, devouring cold lasagna. Cold, but very good lasagna. Halfway through their meal, Tissaia started poking her food, avoiding eye-contact with Yen. Not knowing what was going on, she took a shot in the dark and silently said, “Tonight went well, didn’t it? Or did I do something wrong?”

At that, Tissaia turned her knife, pointing it at her, and told her with a stern look, “No, everything went perfect. Up to the part where my sisters decided to fuck with us. I’m really sorry about that. I’ll sleep on the floor, of course, I wasn’t kidding when I said the bed is small.”

Tissaia just went back to eating after that, but Yennefer continued to stare at her, trying to figure out whether she was actually joking or not. After a while, she responded, “Come on, Tissaia, no. That’s ridiculous. It’s your bed. If anyone will sleep on the floor it will be me, but I’m sure we can manage. If we can manage five hours of sharing a car, we can manage some hours of being unconscious next to each other.”

Now, Tissaia looked positively intrigued. A spark shone in her eyes, her fork laden with food hung in the air where she had stopped her movements and she said, “Well I do get quite clingy when unconscious, so if you’re sure that won’t bother you…?”

“Not one bit,” said Yennefer with the most conviction she could muster all evening. A grin slipped onto Tissaia’s face as she whispered, “Good,” and winked at her before finally eating the lasagna impaled on her fork.

Dinner was soon gone completely and the two of them put the dishes in the sink, deciding against making a lot of noise at this hour. It would be bad enough having to drag their bags upstairs in their exhausted states.

Upstairs, when they passed the second door on the left, Tissaia silently tapped on it, looked at Yennefer and whispered, “Bathroom.” Yen nodded at her, grateful for the information.

Once they entered Tissaia’s old room, it hit Yennefer that she was given access to a part of the blonde’s life and background that Yennefer hadn’t granted Tissaia. The blonde hadn’t seemed too interested in her childhood bedroom – not with a literal library to look through.

The walls were white, with only two thick, teal lines going from the ceiling to the floor in a parallel way. The floor itself was dark wood, which looked to be dark cherry in the artificial light, but it was largely covered by a teal coloured rug.

On the bookshelves stood various med-school books, which Yennefer guessed Tissaia owned twice, as well as some other university books, and some on mythology if she saw it correctly. A broad, tidy desk stood in front of the window, but no dusk covered it. Tissaia’s sisters must have cleaned the room before they arrived, or they did it regularly.

The bed, she discovered, was made, and she couldn’t decide whether it had been made specifically for them or if it was always made, just in case Vanielle and Coral’s long lost sister spontaneously came home. The bedding itself followed the trend of the rest of the room and was, in fact, teal. Not surprising, seeing as Tissaia had told her on their way here that it had always been her favourite colour.

Better than Coral’s, she guessed. Yennefer never quite liked the colour red, and she had always avoided wearing it in bright shades. Sleeping in red sheets? She could do without that, even if she wouldn’t tell Tissaia about that.

Tissaia turned to her and said, “Right, I’ll go into the bathroom and get ready there, you unpack and maybe change here so we can safe time? You must be exhausted after today. I’ll be back in five, feel free to use the wardrobe, it isn’t in use anymore anyway.”

Five minutes later, the two of them switched places, with Yennefer going into the bathroom to get ready for bed and Tissaia unpacking her suitcase. In front of the mirror, Yennefer took a minute to process the last two days. It all seemed a bit surreal, but she felt glad that she had offered her help. The blonde was amazing, and if she ever needed help from Yen again, in any way, Yennefer already had a suspicion that all she’d need to do would be asking.

Back in the bedroom, she found Tissaia already sitting on the bed. Something about her made Yennefer think she might be nervous, though she couldn’t figure out what. Before she could even ask, Tissaia said, “Well then, let’s go to sleep. Vanielle had a point, we do have to get up early. I set up my alarm and put my phone on the desk. You can put yours there too if you wish.”

Accepting this as the end of the day, Yennefer nodded and laid down on her back, looking at the ceiling. Tissaia laid close enough that she could feel her body heat, but they weren’t touching. The atmosphere felt comfortable though, not awkward as they both seemed to have feared. And soon, they drifted off into dreamland.


	5. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a bad dream, a bit of fluff to make up for the emotional rollercoaster, and a shopping trip gone wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor characters of The Witcher belong to me. No profit has been made from this and no copyright infringement has been intended.

Movement next to her caused Yennefer to wake from her slumber, looking around confusedly as she tried to figure out where she was. Her only light source was the moon shining through the window, illuminating the desk before the window and the teal rug. Teal… she was in Tissaia’s room.

At that moment, she heard something akin to a whine next to her. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she looked over to Tissaia, who faced the wall, her body rigid. The blonde definitely said something, but it sounded too unintelligible for Yennefer to figure out what. She did sound terribly distressed, though.

Thinking it best to wake her from what could be a terrible nightmare, Yennefer pushed against her shoulder. With a start, Tissaia gasped and sat up straight. Straighter than Yennefer believed good for anyone. When she sat up to take a look at the blonde, she noticed a sheen of sweat covering her delicate features.

Carefully placing her hand on Tissaia’s shoulder, she asked, “Are you okay? What happened, did you have a bad dream?”

Before answering her, the blonde hid her face behind her hands, pulling up her knees to rest against and hide from the world for a moment. After a few, shuddering breaths she had grounded herself enough to look back up. An errant tear ran down her face as she explained, “Nightmare. To this day I still dream of my parents’ accident. Even though I wasn’t there, the police report I read branded itself in my mind and it keeps playing that whenever it feels like it.”

Yen looked at her with sorrow painted all over her face. Sorrow for Tissaia, because she wouldn’t wish this on her worst enemies. She couldn’t imagine how she would deal with seeing her mother die over and over again, even if it only happened in dreams.

Rubbing the blonde’s back, she gazed at her, trying to assess how much comforting she would welcome. She bit her lip as Tissaia let her head fall back into her hands. Strictly speaking, they hadn’t known each other for long, but just letting her sit there felt wrong.

Before she had to come up with something to say to the grieving woman, Tissaia let some of her tension dissipate and leaned against Yennefer in the dark, seemingly sick of being strong on her own. Yennefer didn’t want to know how many times the poor thing had had to deal with the aftermath of such a nightmare on her own, with nobody there to comfort her.

Snaking her free arm around Tissaia’s waist as she turned towards her to provide more comfort, she continued to stroke her back. They sat like that for a while, Yennefer lightly rocking them back and forth until Tissaia relaxed somewhat and put a hand on her collarbone. Looking up, the blonde said, “Thank you, I needed that.”

The slight smile on her face made Yennefer all warm and fuzzy inside, almost like a good scotch would. Before Tissaia had the chance to pull away completely, she offered, “We could stay this close for the rest of the night, if that makes sleeping better for you. I don’t mind holding you like that. Only if you want to, of course.”

A shy look entered Tissaia’s face and she nodded, whispering, “I’d like that.” In one fluent motion, they laid back down, Tissaia resting her head on the raven-haired woman’s chest. After a few minutes, Tissaia had relaxed further into her. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, “You can sing, right?”

She didn’t need to elaborate for Yen to know what she wanted her to do. The blonde likely had trouble going back to sleep with the absolute silence in the room. Again, Yen wondered how the woman had handled situations like these before. Had she turned on a Spotify playlist, or had she simply not gone back to bed?

Choosing the most soothing lullaby she knew, she sang it silently so she wouldn’t wake the sisters. It seemed to be effective nonetheless because Tissaia was out of it within minutes after she had started singing. After noticing, Yennefer continued to hum the song until she fell asleep.

* * *

Waking up early the next day, Yennefer extracted herself from the blonde, cautious not to wake her before her phone went off. After the night she had, she deserved some rest, and Yennefer wouldn’t be the one to cut her sleep short.

Silently, she unpacked her laptop and started working on her paper. Unlike other students, she preferred to stay on top of things, causing her to finish her work long before the deadlines. Based on that, she actually ran behind a bit, which is why she had brought her work with her.

About an hour of concentrated work later, Tissaia’s alarm went off, and she heard a discontent groan come from the bed. A chuckle escaped her as she turned the alarm off, positive that it had gone long enough to wake the blonde.

Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Tissaia propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her with bleary eyes. A smile appeared on her face and she said, “Good morning. How is my favourite politician doing? Sleep well for the rest of the night?”

“Future politician,” she amended, “And I slept marvellously well, thank you. How was the rest of your night? Less troublesome, I hope?”

The smile on the blonde’s face turned dreamy as she nodded and fell back into bed. After a content sigh, she said, “Yes, that was the most restful sleep I got in a long time. Thank you for being there for me, I really appreciate it. If only we could have slept in today.”

They looked at each other and chuckled softly. Not needing to coordinate their actions this morning, Yennefer finished the paragraph she had been working on and started gathering clothes to change into, while Tissaia went for a shower. By the time Yen had shut her computer off and put it back into her bag, Tissaia tiptoed back through the door, letting her know that she could take a shower now.

Yennefer opted out of washing her hair, since it still looked fine to her, and instead walked downstairs once she wore her black trousers and a green sweater. Knowing that they would have to get going after breakfast, Yennefer popped back into Tissaia’s room to get her boots and purse.

Downstairs the sisters already chatted over some waffles, Tissaia being notably quieter than Vanielle and Coral, who talked animatedly about the shops they planned on going to. The blonde also seemed significantly less motivated. Not that Yen could blame her for that.

“Ah! You’re up!” exclaimed Coral with her usual mischievous look. Yennefer barely managed a smile and a greeting, let alone to sit down, before Tissaia already interjected, “She was up long before me, Coral, I just hopped into the shower before her,” and wiped a bit of chocolate away from the corner of her mouth after that.

Coral gave an approving whistle, but before she could come back with any more comments, she flinched. Judging by the side-eye she received from Vanielle, the brunette had kicked her under the table, earning herself a glare. Not paying attention to the narrowed eyes, Vanielle asked, “So, Yennefer, what do you do when you’re not on holiday?”

“Oh,” Yennefer said while prepping her waffle, “I’m a barista when I’m not studying and working for my degree in political science, actually.” That earned her an inquisitive look from everyone but Tissaia, who concentrated on her food.

Vanielle, eyebrow raised, asked, “Why a barista, though? I heard there are easier jobs that pay better.” At that, Yennefer had to snort. She could’ve held it in, maybe, but she didn’t want to.

Shrugging, Yennefer responded, “Being a barista is just much more… entertaining. I don’t really do it for the money, you see, I do it so I don’t get bored and can see my friends. Though it is true, interning at a politician’s office would pay better.” Then, after a moment’s contemplation how inappropriate she should get, she added, “Politicians are also so much more… _appreciative_.”

Eyes still on the new waffle she prepared, Tissaia couldn’t help but laugh at the insinuation. The spark of amusement in her eyes shone beautifully as she eyed Yennefer and winked at her, making her grin like a little school girl. The two sisters watched this exchange with wrapped interest, noting how light-hearted their sister was.

“Okay, new question,” announced Coral out of the blue while pointing her butter knife in Tissaia’s direction, “What have you done to our sister?” Thanks to only having known her girlfriend for a total of two days, Yennefer felt properly confused.

Looking over to Tissaia, she only saw her glaring at Coral in annoyance. Then, when the red-head didn’t make a move, she said, “Ha-ha, very funny of you. But seriously, you should hear her sing sometime, it’s quite relaxing.” That comment, as well as the thumb that now pointed in her direction, had Yennefer blush profusely.

“That is hardly worth mentioning, it was just a little song, nothing more,” responded Yen, trying to get rid of some of the attention she now received unwillingly. Not knowing what went on right under her nose made her feel like she should’ve paid more attention, but she doubted there had been anything she could’ve paid any more attention to.

Coral scoffed and argued, “Oh, it is, trust me on that one, honey. But that is something that we will get into at dinner. For now, you should eat up, we’re going shopping.” The reminder that Yennefer would be coming with Coral went unsaid, not that she had needed the reminder. Yen felt nervous enough about that as it was.

Before they left, Yennefer excused herself to make a phone call, much to Coral’s distaste. Getting on her bad side really wasn’t the plan, but she had promised her best friend two check-ups a day and she could virtually feel him getting antsy over his phone five hours away.

He picked up almost immediately, confirming her suspicion. Not waiting for her to say good morning, he jumped right into the topic of his interest and said, “Well, I see someone made it through the night alive. Anything new to report?”

“You make it sound like you are my army superior or something,” scoffed Yennefer, not quite having his attitude this morning. Every other morning, but not this one. Nonetheless, she continued, “All is well – just like yesterday evening. The night was more or less quiet and we are going shopping now. I’m going with Coral, her sister, and she is going with Vanielle, her other sister.”

“You’re splitting up? Who thought that was such a good idea?” he asked incredulously, not quite wanting to believe that either Tissaia or Yennefer had actually been dumb enough to get this crackpot idea.

Grimacing a bit, Yennefer said, “Coral. We’ll meet up with the others around lunch. Do you need something from the mall while I’m there?”

A taunting chuckle could be heard through the phone’s speakers, and Jaskier sarcastically replied, “Yeah, how about some doughnuts and a coffee, I really miss that delicious shit. But seriously, Yen, you need to be careful. Check-in with me later?”

“Don’t I know it, Jaskier, don’t I know it. And yes, I’ll call,” she conceded and hung up on him, not waiting for his formal goodbye. He would have found a way of making up some long-winded version of goodbye. Instead, she joined Coral in her Fiat, noting how impatient she looked. A wolfish grin appeared on her face as she said, “Good, we can go and have fun now.” Yennefer wasn’t too sure they shared the same definition of ‘having fun’.

After two hours of perusing, Coral chose the jewellery store for them to go to. Coincidentally, Yennefer had wanted to visit this store as well. A present for Tissaia may already be waiting in her bag, but nobody said there’s a limitation on the number of gifts, right?

Knowing that they both had an interest in mythology, and knowing that Tissaia always wore the same necklace with an almost bronze coloured pendant, which featured a black stone. Wanting to get her a necklace that could complement the one she had already, she set out to find one that also had a platinum gold cord. It had to be long enough for the pendant to be hidden under her shirts if necessary, though.

Soon after entering the shop, luck favoured Yennefer, and she did find such a necklace. Its pendant formed an oval of platinum gold, and in the middle sat a black obsidian stone, just the stone she was looking for. Looking at the price tag, she found herself pleasantly surprised. Over the past years, she saved enough money to afford ten of these. Then again, this wasn’t about money, it was about the meaning behind the gift.

Coral watched her suspiciously, almost as though she had expected her to get something entirely different. Almost as though she didn’t approve. The raven-haired woman was quick to remind herself that it wasn’t Coral’s approval she sought, but Tissaia’s.

To her relief, Coral said nothing when she sauntered up to the register to stand beside her, watching the clerk do his job. He looked tired if Yennefer had to be entirely honest. During Christmas time, she couldn’t fault him, judging by the average customer the coffee shop had had over the past holidays.

She wished him a good day and left the store with Coral in tow, and she wondered why the red-head had wanted to go in if she hadn’t planned on buying anything in the first place. Then again, she had walked in and out of most shops without spending any money, so maybe that was just who Coral was as a person.

The mall, of course, was richly decorated, and Yennefer used the opportunity of waiting in front of the bookstore to take it all in. A smile crossed her face as her eyes wandered over the giant golden garlands, the overly large baubles dangling from the ceiling and the chain lights blinking on every railing.

Out of nowhere, as was her style, Coral suddenly got into her face, standing way closer than most people would consider necessary for a polite conversation. Then again, what she had to say could hardly be considered polite, because she hissed, “Listen here, Yennefer. I’ve never heard of you before my sister conveniently decided to bring you along for Christmas. Tissaia has a reputation of being a brilliant and very expensive neurosurgeon, so it’s only natural you’d take whatever my little sister offered you. She may not see you for who you are, but I do, little gold-digger. I have my eye on you, and if you hurt her in any way, you are done for.”

Not having expected such harsh words, Yennefer just stared at her with wide eyes. Was she scared? Not exactly. Intimidated, maybe. She didn’t have to deal with people as abrasive as Coral regularly, so she sure as hell wasn’t used to this sort of treatment. Where these words came from, she didn’t know, and quite frankly she didn’t care. They hurt, though, deeply. Because if there was one thing Yennefer definitely didn’t need from Tissaia, it was money. Strictly speaking, she was the heiress to a fortune, even if Coral didn’t know that.

Yennefer couldn’t process what had just happened when Coral had already stepped out of her space again, looking her usual self. Almost as though she hadn’t just threatened her. Staring at the red-head in disbelief, Yennefer almost didn’t notice Vanielle and Tissaia walking up to them.

Her lips were pressed tightly together and she could feel herself trembling when Tissaia suddenly touched her arm, telling her hello. Instinctively, she flinched away from the touch. Conflicted, she looked at Coral, then at Tissaia. Running wouldn’t solve anything, she knew that, and it would likely confuse or hurt Tissaia. Staying, however, could potentially end in a complete disaster.

Making a split-second decision, Yennefer forced a smile on her face and looked at Tissaia with the most apologetic look she could manage as she said, “I’m really sorry to cut our time short, but I don’t really feel well. You all have fun, okay? I’ll meet you back at the house.”

Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and left for the nearest exit, planning on taking a taxi back to the house should she find one. Behind her, she could hear Tissaia call out her name, only to be told by Coral that she shouldn’t worry and that Yennefer probably only ate something that hadn’t been good anymore.

By some miracle, she managed not to break down before reaching the sanctity of her room at her mother’s house. She had been twenty minutes away from Tissaia’s house before remembering that she had no way of getting in because she didn’t have a key. The taxi driver had looked at her with a concerned look when she had spontaneously told him to turn around and drive to the other side of town instead.

She knew that Gustav would be by today, but he still had a while before he should be there and he wouldn’t have a reason to go into her room either way. So once Yennefer had locked herself into her old room, she let her tears fall. They were tears of outrage, frustration, and hurt.

Not knowing what else she should do, she pulled out her phone and called Jaskier via video chat, patiently waiting for him to pick up. When he did, his face already showed the same concern she had gotten from the bloody taxi driver, and it only served to make her cry harder.

Barely keeping it together or her story coherent, she relayed the events of the day to him. His features grew darker and darker during the story, not liking it at all. If he ever got to meet Coral, Yennefer already knew that he would potentially try to put his guitar over her head. Good thing that would never happen.

At the end of her story, Jaskier took a deep breath, trying to ground himself. He always tried handling things in a calm manner, and this was no different, even though this was his best friend, and she was hurt. Looking her deep in the eyes, he said, “Yennefer. I’m going to say this once: You need to come home, for your own good.”

Looking down while sniffling into a tissue, Yennefer softly shook her head. She knew where he came from, she knew it would be the logical thing to do. And yet… and yet. Tissaia’s face appeared in her mind. Happy Tissaia, laughing at her joke. Peaceful Tissaia, sleeping after crying over a nightmare.

“No, Jaskier. It’s only tonight, you need to remember that. I need to remember that. Tissaia and I will be leaving tomorrow after lunch either way, and I doubt she’ll leave me with her sisters anymore, so… it’ll be okay,” she reasoned.

Throwing his hands into the air, Jaskier admitted defeat. He cursed her out on it, told her she was being stupid. Yennefer didn’t even argue with him. Why would she when he was completely correct? All that she could do was apologise to him and listen to him rant about his own roommates. Even though she knew that he greatly exaggerated, just to get her mind away from the red-head and her biting words.

Not too long after that, they hung up. Yennefer, who had sat down on her old bed at some point, sighed and looked around. It would be prudent to return to the sisters’ house soon, as they would come back at some point. But her bed felt so comfortable, just like it always had, and her comforter was right there, waiting for her to crawl under there. Just five minutes, she thought. Five minutes wouldn’t hurt, Yennefer told herself as she laid down and hid her face under the blanket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your lovely comments, they really mean the world to me.


	6. Christmas Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tissaia finds Yennefer and cheers her up after having chewed out her sister. Cuddling ahead, as well as a bit of gay panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here ya go. Enjoy the relative amount of fluff, for tomorrow it Yennefer will be so stupid that even I wanted to facepalm while writing her. But it will all turn out well and you will get an extra cute scene tomorrow!
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of The Witcher belong to me. No profit has been made and no copyright infringement was intended.

Ever since Yennefer had been a little child, crying was a surefire way of knocking her out. It made her sleep through almost anything. Therefore, she didn’t hear the timid knock on her door. Or how someone opened it silently to poke their head in. When the mattress dipped under the weight of someone sitting down on the edge, she didn’t stir.

Pulling the blanket away from Yennefer’s face, Tissaia studied her features, drinking in every detail. Noting the tissues on the nightstand and the dried tears that were barely visible on the sleeping woman’s face, Tissaia deduced that she had been crying. An unbidden sigh escaped her lips as she cursed herself for letting Yennefer go with Coral in the first place. This could have all been avoided.

Making sure that she had warm hands, since she didn’t want to startle Yennefer awake, she brushed some of her thick, black hair out of her face. Softly, yet somewhat assertive, she said, “Yennefer, it’s time to wake up.”

A dissatisfied huff sounded through the room as Yennefer slowly opened her bleary eyes. Something made her wake up before her body thought it’s time, which was highly unusual for her. It confused her, and she looked around, quickly realising that Tissaia sat on her bed, her hand resting on Yennefer’s shoulder.

“Hey you,” she said sleepily, “How did you… what are you doing here?” Given the fact that she had never shown Tissaia this room, it seemed like a good question. Not a perfectly worded one, but a good one nonetheless.

Green eyes looked at her, filled with warmth and something Yennefer couldn’t quite place. Looking at the door momentarily, the blonde said, “Oh, Gustav let me in and told me which room was yours, he said you probably wouldn’t mind. Since I was so determined to find you, I just hoped he was right. So… how is my favourite politician?”

A dreamy smile made its way onto Yennefer’s face, and without thinking, she responded, “Will you ask that question every time one of us wakes up?”

Tissaia, seizing the opportunity, shot right back, “Planning on us waking up in each other’s presence after the holidays, are you?” Her tone was teasing, trying to get a response from Yennefer. Yennefer’s brain, however, was still too sleep-addled to comprehend anything of the sort.

“Sorry,” said Yennefer, assuming she overstepped her boundaries. Tissaia frowned, seemingly unhappy with the answer. The blonde looked to the side, studying a poster that hung opposite the bed.

Deciding not to explain her question to make it make sense to Yennefer, she changed the subject, saying, “I pressed Coral to tell me what happened.” Biting her lip, she gazed at Yennefer from under her lashed and added, “I’m really sorry she said that, it wasn’t her place. I knew letting you two alone would be a bad idea.”

Remembering what had happened, Yennefer gave her a small smile, hoping it didn’t radiate too much sadness. Sitting up, she leaned against the headboard and said, “It’s fine. It’s not your fault. Like… be honest, would she have listened if you had said no to her _brilliant_ idea?”

The question earned her a regretful shake of the head. Tissaia knew her sisters well enough to say that, no, Coral didn’t listen to either her or Vanielle once she made up her mind. It was a major character flaw, in her opinion.

“See,” Yennefer said, “You couldn’t have done anything. And her accusation is kind of funny too. I mean, I don’t know how much money you have, and I also don’t care beyond the fact that I could probably match that amount is needed. So… being called a gold digger kind of has its comedic value.”

Frowning, Tissaia shook her head more vehemently and covered Yen’s hand with her own. Looking deep into her eyes, she imploringly said, “That doesn’t make it okay. She was wrong to say that. And if she knew that you’re basically rich then she wouldn’t have said as much. And maybe you should tell her because I have a good feeling she thinks your car is a rental.”

A weak laugh tore from Yennefer’s throat, not able to stay serious at the mental image of anyone renting her car. Tissaia grinned, happy about having managed to cheer her up a bit. The raven-haired woman looked at her, open and a bit vulnerable, and Tissaia’s expression softened further. For a moment, the blonde looked conflicted.

Yennefer wanted to ask if something was wrong, but before she could, Tissaia scooted closer, putting her hands on Yen’s shoulders and pulled her towards her. Arms circling around Yennefer’s middle, she held the woman close, providing comfort as Yen put her arms around the blonde’s neck, burrowing her face into her shoulder. Relishing the comfort, Yennefer simply relaxed into the embrace, not willing to move anytime soon, and hoping that Tissaia wouldn’t make her.

She didn’t. Tissaia just sat there, holding her as her fingers brushed through black locks. No rocking, no singing. Only closeness and support. Some time went by before the blonde spoke again, “You deserve better than to be treated that way. So much better, because you’re nothing like what she said. You’re so much better.”

Scoffing at that, not quite wanting to believe it, Yennefer said, “I should remind you that you don’t know me, we’ve only been a couple for what? Almost two days?”

Pulling back, Tissaia looked into violet eyes with the most sincere expression. She cupped Yennefer’s cheek and said, “I knew you well enough last night, darling, and that told me all I needed to know about you.” Closing her eyes, Yennefer just nodded. She wondered what Tissaia could possibly mean by that, but this wasn’t the time to ask her.

Tissaia suggested they stay for a while yet, just to calm their nerves a bit. And so they did. Yennefer scooted over so the blonde could lay beside her, but they had different plans f how this would go. As soon as Tissaia had settled down, she reached over and pulled at Yen’s sweater, making her cuddle up to her. Then, with a teasing, yet soft voice, she said, “Good girl.”

While they stayed cuddled up in bed, Tissaia told Yen some stories from her childhood, trying to cheer her up. When she told the story of how, when she had been about five years old, she had run after a squirrel and followed it up a tree just because she thought it was cute, Yen had to smile, thinking about how adorable Tissaia must have been as a child.

The blonde chuckled as she said, “Should’ve seen my father, he was so annoyed that his brilliant daughter had been bested by a squirrel and was stuck in a tree because of it.” That had Yennefer laugh wholeheartedly.

Still chuckling, Yen looked up at her, adoration shining in her eyes as they met Tissaia’s, and she whispered, “Thank you. For cheering me up, I mean.”

“Hey, of course,” she responded, “My sister was responsible for making you sad, what kind of fake girlfriend would I be to just let that stand?” The question, clearly rhetoric, was accompanied with a nudge against Yen’s shoulder.

It went unspoken that they had to get back, so they got up and ventured down the stairs. By the door, Tissaia held her by her arm, turned her around and dangled a set of car keys from her hand, saying, “I hope you don’t mind that I took your baby for a drive, instead of a taxi.”

“Not at all, I trust you,” laughed Yennefer. Making to grab for the keys, they were snatched out of range. Impressive, given that Tissaia was smaller than her. A cheeky grin appeared on Tissaia’s face as she stepped closer to her, face about two inches away from her as she whispered, “If that’s the case, you surely wouldn’t mind if I drove it back, too?”

Perplexed, Yennefer blinked at her and asked, “Did you get a taste for my car?” With a Cheshire grin painted on her face, Tissaia only nodded, a hopeful spark in her eyes giving away that she wanted an answer. Letting out a delighted chuckle, Yennefer nodded and opened the door for her, watching as she skipped out happily.

As it turned out, Tissaia loved speed. Which meant that they made it back in half the time the taxi had needed to get her to her house. Her passenger didn’t complain, she wouldn’t dare to. Not that she didn’t like this side of her, she actually found it rather attractive.

“Little racer,” she chuckled as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Tissaia looked at her with mock-outrage and gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest as she asked, “you did not just call me little, you giant! How. Dare. You?” Every word of her rhetoric question was punctuated with a playful slap against Yen’s shoulder, causing both of them to start laughing in the car.

“Come on, you comedian, we need to get ready, and you need to rub it in what a wonderful girlfriend you are,” said Tissaia and got out of the car, a smile still firmly on her face. With a grin, Yen followed her inside to her room, waiting until Tissaia had collected all she needed to get ready in the bathroom.

Then, she turned to the wardrobe as she chewed on her lower lip. Tissaia had informed her about her sisters taking this whole dinner thing very seriously, so she had come prepared. Pushing away her anxiety about tonight, she pulled strands of her hair into an elegant updo, keeping them from falling into her face.

Thanks to her crying session earlier, she had to rush through the make-up, and surprise washed over her when it turned out pretty well. Momentarily smiling at the image in the mirror hanging from the wall, she decided to hurry along and put on her teal, satin dress with a V-neck and a slit running up her thigh. A dress that also showed off her figure.

Bringing a dress in Tissaia’s favourite colour had been an accident, of course. She hadn’t known the woman’s favourite colour until it had been too late. The coincidence made her very happy, because it would potentially make Tissaia happy.

Closing her necklace with the star pendant behind her neck, she let it settle below her collarbone and lightly touched it again. Then, taking in her entire form to make sure all fit perfectly well, she nodded her approval. This was good enough to play the perfect girlfriend because that’s the only reason she looked so good for.

Distantly she could hear the bathroom door open and close, hinting at Tissaia being done and going downstairs. Now that she wore red lipstick, she couldn’t worry her lip anymore, making her pluck invisible lint from her dress instead.

With one last deep breath, she opened the door and went downstairs. When she entered the dining room, the other three were already sat down, bantering away the time. Coral at the head to the left, Vanielle opposite of her. Tissaia sat with her back to the staircase at the long side, looking at Coral as they joked about something.

Vanielle looked her way first, growing completely still as her widened eyes took in the image in front of her. To Yennefer’s relief, she gave her an approving smile and a nod, causing Coral to turn away from her conversation to see what had her sister preoccupied.

Raising an eyebrow, she said, “My oh my, Tissaia. Your girlfriend knows how to play dress-up.” At that, the blonde turned around with a confused look on her face. Yen just stood there, awkwardly, smiling at them and waiting for Tissaia’s approval.

The approval came in the form of wide eyes and a dropped jaw as green eyes shamelessly raked over her figure. Standing, she walked up to Yennefer with a smile on her face. When she stood right in front of her, she cupped Yen’s cheek and said, “You’ve got to be the most beautiful woman I have ever had the fortune of calling my girlfriend,” and hugged her close.

Yennefer got a good look at her outfit after they separated, noticing that Tissaia wore a suit that looked as though it was fitted. It looked so good on her, in fact, that Yennefer’s breath was taken away for a moment. Recovering rather quickly, she looked into beautiful, green eyes, realising she was completely doomed now, and said, “Well, what can I say? I have to match your beauty somehow, and you certainly don’t make it an easy task.”

It earned her a chuckle and a kiss on the cheek before Tissaia stepped away completely and gestured at the other free seat. Taking the hint, Yennefer sat down, a smile still on her face. As they sat, Tissaia still didn’t take her eyes off of Yennefer. Almost as though she was entirely enamoured.

Clearing her throat, Vanielle picked up her glass of red wine, looked at her sister teasingly and said, “I do have to give it to you, Tissaia, your taste is like wine. It gets better with age,” before taking a drink.

Tissaia blinked once. She blinked twice. Her face darkened and a muffled thud could be hurt from under the table as she turned her eyes to the brunette. Vanielle, in turn, didn’t even flinch. She had expected her sister to react in this exact way, and Yen couldn’t help but think it was cute.

The conversation strayed to more trivial things, allowing Yennefer to throw in the occasional witty remark. To her surprise, Coral didn’t say much to her, at least not in any sarcastic or scathing way. Yen had a suspicion that might be Tissaia’s doing.

At some point, the conversation turned to Vanielle’s flower business, which had Yen perk up with interest. Not interest for flowers, of course, but it did provide an opening for a question she had been itching to pose. Smiling at the brunette, she asked, “How equipped would you say you are for more, say, delicate plants?”

Slightly taken aback by this direct question, Vanielle blinked a couple of times before setting down her wine glass and answering, “Uhm, pretty well. Well enough to have them not die on me, I’d say. Why?” A hint of suspicion could be heard in her voice.

Yennefer looked away from her and said, “No reason in particular.” As she sipped from her wine, she threw Tissaia a wink, watching as the blonde just looked at her with eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

Coral, apparently tired of the silence, threw in, “So, Tissaia. Do you need to leave early tomorrow to get the rental back, or did you rent it for an extra day just so you wouldn’t have to rush all the way home?”

Frowning as though she had no idea what Coral was talking about, Tissaia asked, “What do you mean, rushing home?”

Before Coral could even open her mouth, Yennefer said, “Wait, you thought that is a rental? Oh, no, Coral, that’s actually my car. So no need to rush anyone. I’m sorry if this caused a misunderstanding.”

Tissaia smiled proudly at Yennefer and turned back to the red-head to brag, “Yes, Coral. My girlfriend’s amazing taste doesn’t end in fashion.” At that, the raven-haired woman was actually tempted to tell her that her mother had basically forced this car on her, but it wouldn’t do any good in this conversation, so she left it alone.

Now it was Coral’s time to stare at her as her jaw dropped. With a flabbergasted expression and a hint of a blush on her cheeks, she asked, “Yours? How? You are a student and work as a barista.” Tissaia couldn’t hold back a grin at this point.

“That may well be, but my mother is a businesswoman, and a successful one at that,” she answered and sipped from her wine again. The wine was excellent, and she wondered which of the sisters had picked it out. Probably Vanielle, though.

A couple of moments of staring later, Tissaia assertively nudged, “Maybe, dearest sister, now would be a good time to apologise for calling her a gold digger.” Her voice sounded perfectly calm, but in her eyes glimmered something dangerous.

Looking back and forth between the two girlfriends, Coral eventually sighed in defeat. At that, Yennefer noted to herself that Coral hated being wrong and would do anything to get out of admitting she was wrong in the first place. Perhaps she found it to be incredibly embarrassing.

“I apologise, Yennefer, please forgive me,” she said with a face that made it clear that the words tasted bitter in her mouth. After a moment’s thought, she added, “The comment about hurting her still stands, though. So consider the shovel talk done. Don’t make me dig because of you.”

A groan of frustration and annoyance could be heard from Tissaia as she let her head fall back in exasperation. Yennefer, however, just smiled and nodded as she looked at Coral, saying, “That’s fair.” This wasn’t about Coral actually liking her. She had to remember that, as sad as it made her, this was all a show. A show that would be over soon.

Realising that, she withdrew into herself for most of the dinner, focusing on the plate in front of her. Letting go of Tissaia would break her heart one way or another, and she already had an inkling that Jaskier would have strong words with her.

Soon dinner was over, though, and everyone agreed to go to bed since the day had been exhausting for all of them. Yennefer and Tissaia were the first to go upstairs while Vanielle made sure that Coral cleaned the dishes.

The blonde left to change in the bathroom again, leaving Yen to change on her own. Now in her comfortable sleepshirt and sweatpants, she took her makeup wipes and removed her makeup. In the meantime, Tissaia came back and stowed away her suit, giving Yen the signal that she could take the bathroom now.

When she came back, the blonde still sat on the edge of the bed, feet dangling back and forth. She seemed a bit unsure, and Yennefer wondered if something happened. Closing the door, she stepped closer to Tissaia, who looked up with a shy smile and asked, “Do you think we could try to cuddle again? That really helped me sleep last night.”

Giving her a warm smile, Yennefer responded, “Of course. Now come on, hop in. I can’t sing you a lullaby when you’re sitting on the edge of the bed.” At that, Tissaia’s face lit up and she quickly crawled under the blanket, immediately scooting closer once Yennefer had made herself comfortable.

This time, it took Tissaia a bit longer to fall asleep from her singing. Though that might have had something to do with the fact that she was fighting sleep off to listen to Yennefer’s singing voice just a little bit longer. In the end, however, she lost the fight, and her breath evened out. Her human pillow didn’t stay awake much longer than she did, following her into a night of sleep without bad dreams.


	7. Presents and Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they open presents and Yennefer gets to know something interesting, gay panics, and almost ruins everything because I wasn't joking when I used the tag useless!Yennefer. Tissaia, in turn, is then forced to take matters into her own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scream at me if you want, I know how technically OOC Yennefer is and how much I facepalmed writing her that useless. Let's just chalk it up to childhood trauma, yes? Happy holidays, whichever you may celebrate, and thanks for going on this journey with me!  
> Disclaimer: Neither the world nor the characters of The Witcher belong to me. No profit has been made and no copyright infringement was intended.

The next morning, Yennefer woke to find Tissaia still in her arms. Again. A soft smile played around her lips, and she gently brushed a strand of blonde hair out of the sleeping beauty’s face. Was it too early to say she loved her, she wondered. Probably. Then again, matters of the heart were rarely simple or logical.

This time, her paper would have to wait, Yen decided. Nothing could bring her to move from her comfortable position with the comforting weight on top of her. The view also was more appealing than her paper, not that she would ever admit to watching Tissaia sleep.

Almost wishing that this could last forever, Yen tightened her arm around Tissaia, pulling her closer. The blonde released a content sigh and, as far as Yen could tell from her angle, smiled blissfully. Before she could move to get a better look, Tissaia burrowed her face into her oversized shirt, and she murmured, “Good morning, Yennefer.”

Perplexed, she asked, “You’re awake?” At that, Tissaia craned her neck to look into her eyes, a mischievous grin on her face.

“Have been for a while now, and I felt you wake up based on your breathing pattern… it’s good to know that you don’t want to get away from me immediately,” she drawled, her eyes dropping to Yen’s lips by the end of the last sentence, seemingly transfixed.

Silently, as though afraid to disturb the peace and break the moment, Yennefer whispered, “I don’t think I’ll ever understand how anyone could not want to be close to you, Tissaia.” She cursed herself inwardly for being this bold, but she couldn’t help herself. She also couldn’t stop herself from staring at Tissaia’s lips in return.

“So,” Tissaia whispered in a flirtatious tone, leaning just a little bit closer, “how is my favourite politician this morning, I wonder?”

Smiling nervously, not sure what was going on, Yennefer answered, “I woke up next to you, didn’t I? How could I be anything less than perfect right now? How are you, though, still enjoying my presence?”

With a chuckle, Tissaia drawled, “Very much so, my love,” and leaned in so close that Yen could feel her breath against her own lips and could almost taste Tissaia’s lips. This was happening, Yennefer realised, they were-

“Get up, sleeping beauties, it’s time for presents!” sounded a voice outside the door. Coral. Yennefer really started to dislike that particular sister.

Tissaia seemed to feel the same way because her face formed a pout and she silently said, “I was in the middle of giving one out, dunderhead.”

Looking at Yennefer with a longing expression, she placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth and said, “Well, I suppose this will have to wait until we are back in the city. Come on, you heard my sister, It’s present time.”

Dazed, Yen stayed where she was for a few moments, blinking to get a grasp on reality again. Before she could begin to process what just happened, Tissaia grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs. There, on the table in the living room, stood two steaming cups of hot chocolate, waiting for them.

Vanielle and Coral were already laughing on the couch while a Christmas playlist sounded in the background, currently playing a classic Christmas song. Tissaia sat down on the free chair, taking her mug eagerly. Yennefer, not quite sure what to do yet again, sat down by the tree, as she had when they had decorated it. Gingerly plucking the last mug from the table, she said thank you and sipped a bit of the liquid happiness.

Songs playing in the background, banter flowing back and forth unbound, Yen enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. Coral, for her part, may present as peaceful, but the closer they got to finishing their cocoa, the more obvious it got that she grew impatient and wanted to open presents.

When Vanielle finally put down her mug, Coral squealed and said, “Finally! Now to the presents. Okay, Yen, you’re new so this is how it goes: One at a time. You’re closest to the tree, so you pick the presents and hand them out.”

Nodding her understanding, Yen set down her mug and turned to the tree. First, she chose a present wrapped in blue, shining paper. Looking at the attached tag, she smiled and stretched out her hand, giving it to Vanielle, who thanked her and opened it slowly, without tearing the paper.

A joyous expression graced her face when she discovered that she had gotten new garden shears from Coral. Overjoyed, she basically jumped across the couch to give her sister a hug. Coral, in turn, laughed the most genuine Yennefer had heard her laugh yet. It was a beautiful sight, seeing her be genuine for once, without a trace of mischief.

Realising that this was a good opportunity, Yennefer made to grab her present for Vanielle, giving it to the brunette. As she opened the snow globe, she made a little aw sound. Then, getting to the seeds, packed into a small, brown paper bag, she frowned and asked, “Are those seeds?”

“Yes,” said Yennefer, “Tissaia mentioned that you liked that particular flower when we were in my mother’s sun porch two days back.”

A smile spread on Vanielle’s face, and her eyes shone with a warmth that made Yennefer feel like she was an actual part of this family. Oh, how nice that would be. “Tissaia told me about that, thank you for getting these for me. I’ll be sure to take good care of them,” said Vanielle, practically ending this interaction.

With a satisfied nod, she blindly grabbed for the next present, which happened to be Tissaia’s. Well, Yennefer’s present for Tissaia. Suddenly unsure whether she would like it, Yennefer hesitated a bit, but ultimately knew she couldn’t put it back anymore. Turning to Tissaia, she gave her a timid look as she handed over the present.

The blonde, however, interpreted the look correctly, assuming that this was from Yennefer, and snatched it away eagerly. The woman was itching to see if her girlfriend had as good a taste in presents as she had in every other area of life.

For a surgeon, Yennefer thought, Tissaia did a pretty messy job of unwrapping the present. Unwrapping didn’t even fit the process, ripping would be more accurate. Nervously she watched as Tissaia gingerly opened the jewellery box, revealing the obsidian necklace.

Tissaia’s eyes went wide as she took in the necklace, appraising it as though it was priceless. Yennefer didn’t know that, to her, it now was. Shifting on her spot, Yennefer explained, “It’s… black obsidian, which, as you may know, is supposed to protect you. More on the symbolic side, of course, but I thought it would go nicely with the necklace you’re always wearing without outshining it.”

Only now looking at Yennefer, love shone in her eyes. An undeniable feeling, open for all to see. All that would look. Without much preamble, Tissaia set down the necklace on the table, knelt down in front of Yennefer and cupped her face with her hand, holding her in place as she said, “Thank you, my love,” pressing a chaste kiss on her lips afterwards.

Then, quick as a fox, she grabbed the necklace and held it out to Yennefer, giving her little time to come to her senses. With a grin on her face, she asked, “Put it on?” Yennefer obliged all too happily. This had gone a lot better than she had hoped, and a part of her hoped that the kiss, as well as the adoration in Tissaia’s eyes, had been real.

“Maybe it will protect you from bad dreams… speaking of which, how _did_ you sleep last night?” asked Coral after the clasp snapped shut and the pendant rested below the heirloom Tissaia was wearing.

“Marvellously, thank you, Coral. No dream whatsoever, I guess the only protective charm I need is Yennefer,” Tissaia said in a somewhat short voice, as though she wanted this topic to be over with already.

Coral, however, didn’t take the hint. Yennefer guessed that she willfully ignored it rather than not having noticed. The red-head turned to her and said, “It is miraculous, you know? She did tell you about how the nightmares have plagued her since her parents died? How they always come back around Christmas, the date her parents died. You know that, of course. She trusts you. What was the drunkard's name that was responsible for their death again, Tissaia, dearest?”

It seemed harsh to bring this up so on the nose, but Tissaia seemed annoyed, for the most part. Yennefer thought that she must have gotten over the death a long time ago. Or rather, over the accident. Through clenched teeth and with a threatening tone, she growled, “Coral, for fuck’s sake, we brought this up every year for the past ten years. Just once, let us not rant about it. I didn’t have any bad dreams, so leave it be this year.”

Her sister, of course, didn’t listen. At least it was good to know that they usually ranted about it together, Yennefer thought. Even if she had her doubts about this tradition being a healthy coping mechanism for any of them. Coral interrupted her thoughts, however, and said, “Yes dear, you are right. Donny Fletcher, disgusting name, really.”

“Coral-“ Tissaia hissed venomously, trying to get her sister to stop. The red-head remained stubborn, insisting that it was a family tradition. Yennefer, for her part, didn’t hear any of this. She had just reached for the next present when Coral had uttered the name, and she had frozen like a statue.

Donny Fletcher. She could feel all the colour drain from her face and she started shaking as she felt every cell in her body scream at the universe for being unfair. She wanted to cry. Cry because Tissaia didn’t know, but she did. Donny Fletcher, after all, was the name of her father who rotted in jail for killing a couple in an accident he caused because he had been drunk.

The couple, as it turned out, were Tissaia’s parents. Yennefer played the girlfriend of the daughter of the people her father had killed. If- no, when that got out, Tissaia would surely hate her.

With shaking hands, she reached for a red package and checked the tag before handing it over to Coral. The woman thanked her, absentmindedly, as she was still in her argument with Tissaia, not realising that her sister truly wanted her to shut up for once in her life.

Yennefer had somewhat come to her senses again when Vanielle finally cut in and asked Tissaia how they had met in the first place. That was a tricky question, as the two of them had somewhat overlooked to make up such stories in the car.

Ever the quick thinker, Tissaia answered, “Oh, we were both on our way through a pretty park in the city. We were both in so much of a hurry that we didn’t notice each other until it was too late and half of Yennefer’s coffee had spilt over my jacket. Yennefer, darling, where were you headed back then?”

Lost in thought, Yennefer automatically supplied, “Uh, a study session in the library, with Jaskier and Triss. He’s freaking out about math, back in the day. Why they made him take that is beyond me.”

Just at that moment, her phone started to ring, and she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten about her check-in with Jaskier. One look at the display confirmed her suspicion that her best friend had gotten tired of waiting. She quickly excused herself, not noticing Tissaia’s frown, and went outside to answer the call.

“Well, good morning princess, nice to know you’re alive still,” said Jaskier in an awfully good mood. Nothing ever ruined his mood on Christmas day. At least nothing Yennefer had tried to prank him with so far.

“Shut up, Jas, because right about now I actually wish I was,” she hissed, her anxiety getting the better of her. Not patient enough to wait for him to ask what was wrong, she added, “You were right, okay? I’m in deep, it’s bad. And the worst of it all? Her parents died in a car crash, around this day, 27 years ago, because a drunk bastard called Donny Fletcher couldn’t stay home that day.”

Silence. Yennefer knew that Jaskier probably needed a second to process all of that information. The poor boy never had been a fan of puzzles, thrillers, or mysteries. He didn’t like investigations. And yet he grasped this concept rather quickly, and he said, “Son of a bitch, the universe really fucked you over, didn’t it? What are you going to do, Yennefer? Tell her? You can’t very well leave her behind there with no way of getting back. She might be a surgeon, but that taxi ride would be expensive.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yennefer said bitterly, “You keep worrying about her money, I’ll worry about the kiss she gave me a minute before that bomb was dropped on me.”

“Girl, don’t say I didn’t warn you before going there,” Jaskier said with a tired voice. The raven-haired woman hissed at him, signalling it wasn’t the right time for this conversation.

“You won’t tell her, right?” he added as an afterthought, realising how catastrophic that might be in the current situation.

Impatiently, Yennefer hissed, “Of course not, you idiot!” Tears spilt onto her cheeks, and she had just a moment to wipe them away until she saw Vanielle walk towards her with a coat in her hand. Quickly, she told Jaskier that she had to leave now and hung up despite hearing his protests.

Vanielle stopped in front of her and handed her the coat, having noticed that she had gone out without it. With a concerned look, she asked if everything was okay. Being put on the spot, Yennefer stammered, “I… yes, yes of course. It’s just that… Jaskier, he, uh, he sent me a picture of my present and it’s something that I’ve always wanted and, you know, I’m just, I’m so happy about it.”

The brunette didn’t look entirely convinced, but she let it go. Something that Yen was immensely grateful for. Not pressing the matter, she said, “I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that Tissaia found you. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen her truly happy, and I really appreciate the love and care you give her. So whatever you’re doing, it is clearly working, and I hope you’ll keep doing it.” Yennefer could only nod at that, barely keeping it together.

“Okay, I’ll go inside and help the others get your stuff down, you try coping with that good news you got,” Vanielle said, apparently sensing that Yennefer needed a minute. Or ten. Frankly, Yen thought she would need a long time to get over the news she just discovered and wasn’t able to share.

Not even twenty minutes later, the three sisters came outside, bags and suitcase in their grasp. Not needing any prompting, Yen took the suitcase from Tissaia and went to open the trunk while the blonde said goodbye to Vanielle.

Coral appeared next to her, gingerly putting down her bag. It caught Yennefer off guard. Both being alone with Coral all of a sudden and her being gentle with something that wasn’t her sister’s. Turning to Coral, Yennefer gave her a nervous smile.

An unexpectedly soft look appeared on Coral’s face and she said, “No need to look so scared, Yennefer. I know I was hard to you when I didn’t need to be. Truth is, you are the first of Tissaia’s partners who is actual in-law material. The two of you are good together. She’s happy with you, so you’re always welcome back here.”

Despite this being very touching, it gave Yen a feeling of emotional whiplash. Apparently Coral was only rough around the edges when she interacted with someone she either didn’t like or had to figure out. Too bad Yen only got her approval when she was about to never see her again.

She smiled at the red-head nonetheless and thanked her before arranging the bag in front of her. Taking the hint, Coral went to say goodbye to Tissaia, causing Vanielle to come over in her stead. The brunette looked at her as she closed the trunk and said, “It was very nice meeting you, Yennefer. Have a save ride home, and maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”

She said it as though she expected to see her again at some point, as though it was an unavoidable circumstance. Not answering her directly, Yen responded, “Thank you for your hospitality, I really enjoyed my time here.”

And then they were off. At first, the raven-haired woman managed to make polite conversation with her passenger, the woman she knew she loved but suspected she couldn’t have. After a while, Tissaia took her phone and pulled up a playlist for them to listen to while singing along. Yennefer, concentrating on the road while lost in thought, did not notice that this playlist was not only also filled with good songs, but that it was also full of love songs of one kind or another.

Despite not being a fan of speeding herself, Yennefer somehow managed to make it back to Tissaia’s neighbourhood within three and a half hours, which definitely was a record for her. It meant less awkward interaction, so she didn’t complain.

Before the made it into Tissaia’s street, the blonde turned the music down and looked at her. In a soft tone, almost as though she felt a bit unsure, she said, “Thank you, I know you didn’t have to help me out and my sister put you through a lot. So… can I invite you up on a coffee, to make up for it?”

Giving her a tight smile as she pulled up at the parking spot next to her apartment complex, Yennefer shook her head softly. Every word tasted bitter in her mouth as she said, “I don’t think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had, Tissaia. But I’m glad I could help get your sisters off your back a bit.” Not waiting for an answer, she got out and went around her car to the trunk, getting Tissaia’s suitcase.

Coming to stand next to her on the sidewalk, Tissaia frowned, crossed her arms and argued, “No offence, but I happen to think it is an excellent idea. Because we need to talk, in my opinion. And if you believe for a second that I haven’t noticed how strange you behaved during the ride, you are wrong, so between this morning and now something happened, and I would like to know what it is.”

She seemed frustrated, Yen noted. But also determined to get an answer, so giving her a bullshit excuse of ‘It was nice but I gotta go now’ wouldn’t fly with her. Truth be told, the raven-haired woman didn’t think any excuse would ever work on her.

Nervously looking to her car, wishing she could just drive off without revealing the hard truth, she explained, “Listen, you’re great, and I really like you. Like… a lot. But this morning when Coral talked about the accident… I just didn’t know that it was on Christmas, or that it was…” she couldn’t even bring herself to say it.

“What? Donny Fletcher?” she asked with only a hint of disdain. Looking at Yennefer like it changed nothing. As though it could never change anything.

Swallowing thickly, Yennefer added, “My father, Tissaia.”

The only change in Tissaia’s demeanour was the pursing of her lips and her hands going to rest on her hips. It almost seemed as though she was trying to say, “And?” without words. Not understanding why Tissaia refused to give away any emotion, Yen started to feel awkward. Desperate for a way out, she said, “I’ll just… go. I’m sorry. Really. Thank you for being kind to me after the shopping trip, it really meant a lot… goodbye.”

The blonde called after her with an incredulous tone. Yennefer, feeling incredibly stupid, couldn’t bring herself to get back out of the car. Regretting all her life’s decisions that led up to this moment, she left.

* * *

Two days had gone by since she had driven off. When she got home, she had locked herself in her room, refusing to see anyone as she cried. The day after that, Jaskier had practically kicked in her door, determined to cheer her up. He didn’t have much success. When the sun had set that evening, he went outside to take a phone call from an unknown number, just to come back and declare that he would come back the day before new years to make sure she wasn’t dead.

Now, on the morning of the second day, she looked at her phone longingly. Tissaia had sent her texts periodically until about three pm the day before. To resist temptation, Yennefer had swiped them off her screen every time without a second look.

Sun rays filtered through the small slit between her curtains, shining into her face, seemingly chastising her for still being in bed and moping. Distantly, she heard the doorbell ring, and soon after, her roommate came close to her door, saying, “Good luck, she has been moping since she came back.”

“That’s because she is a dumbass,” said a very familiar, feminine voice. Yennefer, not in the mood to figure out whose voice it was, turned to the wall and pulled the blanket over her head.

Now she came to regret not having locked the door like she had the days before. Then again, how could she have known that the woman would not bother knocking on her door and instead waltz in as though she owned the place?

“Really, one would think you are a vampire, Yennefer,” came a low grumble and she could hear her uninvited visitor strut to the window and pull back the curtains, letting in the sunlight. A hand on Yen’s hip caught her off-guard, forcing her to roll on her back as she yelped.

Two things happened all at once. One, a hand ripped the blanket from over her head, pulling it away just enough to reveal her clothed shoulders. And two, the woman made herself comfortable by straddling Yen’s hips. Though she found herself temporarily blinded by the sun, Yen would recognise those green eyes glaring down at her anywhere.

“Tissaia-“ she started, but was interrupted when the blonde said, “You really do know how to make a woman chase you, don’t you, you little, adorably idiot?”

Gobsmacked, Yennefer tried to make sense of the beautiful woman’s presence. Especially since she had never given her an address. Perplexed, she asked, “How did you find me?”

An exasperated snort escaped Tissaia. Looking around, the blonde grabbed Yen’s phone, throwing it on her chest and said, “It’s rude not to read your texts, you know. Especially when someone sends so many of them. But go on, catch up on what you missed.”

Unlocking her phone, she went to her messages. There was a string of messages from Tissaia, as she already knew, all more or less a variant of ‘we need to talk’ or ‘stop ignoring me’. The last one was different, though, and even though it was a text, Yen could feel the air of finality through the screen.

_Tissaia: Fine. If you are determined to be a stubborn ass about it, have it your way. But we will talk, and I will find you. I doubt Jaskier will turn me away when I ask him._

So Tissaia had been behind the unknown number the day before. Interesting. Just as she wanted to ask how she had gotten Jaskier’s number in the first place, the blonde blushed, held up a hand and said, “Let’s not get into how I managed to get to Jaskier, just… let’s just say I’d be grateful if he would forgo suing me for malpractice.”

“You risked your career to get to the daughter of the man who is responsible for your parents’ death?” she asked incredulously, not quite believing it. Why would the woman be so reckless?

Rolling her eyes, Tissaia reached behind her neck, pulling off the necklace Yennefer had given her two days ago. Then, she dangled it next to Yen’s face. Before she could turn to the pendant, though, Tissaia’s free hand gripped her chin, holding her in place to keep her attention.

She leaned impossibly close, her nose almost touching Yennefer’s, and Yennefer marvelled at the woman’s core strength given that she didn’t support her weight with either arm. With a dangerous glint in green eyes, Tissaia drawled, “You have two choices, Yennefer. Either you take this back and I walk out that door because you insist on being a stubborn ass.”

At this point, Yennefer’s heart was beating up into her throat, and it sounded so loud to her she was convinced Tissaia had to hear it too. Truth was, now that she hovered over her like that, Yen didn’t want her to leave. She wanted her to stay forever. Swallowing nervously as her eyes flickered back and forth between the blonde’s lips, she asked with a hopeful tone, “Or?”

“Or,” Tissaia continued with a honeyed voice, “You can accept that you are not your father, I don’t see you as such and that I already knew who your father was before we even got to my sisters’ house.”

Eyes wide in disbelief, Yennefer pressed her head even farther into her mattress, trying to see every inch of Tissaia’s face as she almost yelled, “What?!”

With a sigh of resignation, Tissaia moved to sit on her upper legs instead. Left hand moving to her collarbone to hold her down while the right gathered the pendant into her closed fist. Folding her arms over Yennefer’s chest, she laid the length of her body atop Yennefer’s and rested her chin on her own forearms.

A sorrowful look barely visible in her eyes, she explained, “It was the portrait that gave me the last hint. The first time I saw your mother’s face was shortly after the accident. Your parents’ divorce was a pretty big deal, Yen. It made the papers. Especially since your brilliant mother managed to steal away his businesses right under his arse.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” breathed Yennefer, her brain trying to catch up but too busy dealing with the fact that the woman she had been in love with for what now felt like ages, was now laying _on top of her_.

A small smile spreading across her face, Tissaia softly reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Yen’s face. “Because I wanted you to tell me on your own time. There was no need to push. What I didn’t expect was you doing it in the middle of a street before leaving me standing there. That kind of pissed me off.”

“Sorry,” said Yennefer, averting her eyes. Not having it, Tissaia placed her index finger under her chin, making her look right back up.

Her thumb danced across her lower lip, Tissaia following her own finger’s motion with fascination before looking back into Yen’s eyes, and she asked with a sorrowful tone, “If I can realise that you are not your father, not even an extension of him, within less than a minute… why can’t you do the same?”

The only response Yennefer gave, was the tear rolling down her cheek, which was promptly wiped away by Tissaia. “I mean it, Yennefer,” implored Tissaia, “I love you for you, because you are amazing.”

“You what?” the question left her lips before she could shut herself up, and she wanted to slap herself.

Tissaia rolled her eyes with a hint of amusement and inched up again, closer to her face. Breathily, she teased, “Do you think I kiss just about anyone good morning, Yennefer?”

Too nervous to talk, Yennefer shook her head. Had she really missed that many hints from the blonde? Maybe Philippa _was_ right in calling her useless, after all. Unaware of her thoughts, Tissaia continued, “See? And you make my nightmares go away. Another point in your favour. But tell me,” she pushed herself off of Yennefer, but only for about an inch before she planted one hand next to her head, keeping the balance as she cupped Yen’s face with the other. Her blonde hair fell around them like a curtain as she continued, “What is the decision you want to make? Do you want the necklace, or me?”

Big eyes staring sincerely into green ones, Yennefer breathed, “You. Always you, Tissaia. That’s not even a question, I’ll always choose you.”

“Then stop running away from me, idiot,” Tissaia chided teasingly and closed the gap between them, kissing her softly yet with a barely contained hunger. Almost as though she had wanted to do this for months. Little did Yennefer know that she hadn’t been the only one developing a crush over the past months.

When they gasped for air, Yennefer grinned dopily, looking at Tissaia as she said, “Guess what.”

“What,” asked the blonde with a chuckle, anticipating something stupid to be the follow-up. Stupid or sweet, the change was fifty-fifty.

“I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world,” Yennefer said happily. A thought crossed her mind, causing her to pause and her face to darken momentarily as she said, “Tissaia de Vries, you best put that necklace back on.”

Neither of them took her seriously, and they both broke out into a fit of laughter, holding their stomachs by the end of it. All would be well, they would be fine. More than, even. And maybe, just maybe, they _would_ get married by June. Who knew? Yennefer didn’t, but as long as she had Tissaia, she could deal with anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an end note: Thank you all for your amazing comments. I see each and every one of you, and I loved each comment you left me. If any of you need/want to talk about anything over the holidays in these stressful times, feel free to hit me up on Tumblr (same name, obviously).  
> Take care, lovely people, maybe you will join me on my next journey. I sure as hell would love that.


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